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401(k) cash out leakage blog posts
Fast & Slow Leakage Produce a Flood of Outflows
First, let's review the definition of "leakage." If we think of total 401(k) savings as a bucket of water, "leakage" refers to those retirement savings that, like water in a leaky bucket, are withdrawn from the U.S. retirement system every year. There are three holes in the bucket: cash-outs at the point of job change, hardship withdrawals, and loan defaults. According to the U.S. Government Accountability Office, one of these holes is much bigger than the other two combined nearly 89% of all leakage is attributed to cash-outs that occur when a participant changes jobs. Hardship withdrawals and loan defaults together account for the remaining 11%.
Auto Portability Simulation Model Unveiled at 78th EBRI Policy Forum
On May 12th, Retirement Clearinghouse President & CEO J. Spencer Williams unveiled the Auto Portability Simulation (APS) at the Employee Benefit Research Institute's 78th Policy Forum. The APS was developed by Retirement Clearinghouse in conjunction with Dr. Ricki Ingalls, Chair of Computer Information Systems at Texas State University, and Principal at Diamond Head Associates, Inc.
What the DOL's Fiduciary Rule doesn't say
The Department of Labor's much-anticipated Fiduciary Rule is ushering in many changes across the retirement services landscape, and the new rules governing the "what, how and why" for advice at the time of a participant's job change will undoubtedly transform the rollover-to-IRA market. However, a closer reading of the Fiduciary Rule sends a clear, if unstated, signal to plan sponsors, financial advisors and record-keepers' absent a compelling reason to roll over to an IRA, keep participants invested in a qualified defined contribution plan throughout their working lives.
For Earth Day: Consider How "Recycling" Could Apply to Our Retirement System
As we observe the 46th annual Earth Day this April 22nd, we appreciate the awareness that this event has brought to the need to protect our environment, the urgency that it is instilled in all of us, and the tangible results that have been achieved in so many important areas. Although we have much work to do, we have clearly come a long way since the "throwaway" culture that emerged following World War II.
Five Common Misconceptions About Automatic Rollovers
Automatic rollover programs allow plan sponsors to force out of their plan separated participants with balances less than $5,000 into a Safe Harbor IRA. These programs can be quite effective at helping sponsors resolve many of the problems associated with housing small-balance accounts in-plan, such as...
The Fiduciary Rule and Participant Transition Management
Any day now, the Department of Labor will issue the final version of the long-awaited Fiduciary Rule which will redefine the term "fiduciary" under ERISA. Much has been written about the impact on advisors and broker-dealers, given their service models to retirement plans.
America’s Modern Throwaway – 401(k) Retirement Savings
When trying to shape our future, it is often helpful to understand our past.
Cutting the Gordian Knot: Portability & Small Accounts
Have you ever wondered why so few participants move their old 401(k)s into their current employers' plans? Or why so many participants prematurely cash out their retirement savings accounts, regardless of taxes and penalties? Or why job-changing participants leave their savings behind only to lose track of them as if their assets for retirement belong on some remote desert island away from all their other savings?
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