Consolidation Corner

COVID-19 Pandemic Demonstrates the Need for Institutionalized Portability

Writing in Consolidation Corner, RCH President & CEO Spencer Williams examines the disruptive effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on America's retirement savers, and makes a persuasive case for the systemic, institutional adoption of auto portability as a means to help rebuild and to preserve retirement savings over the long-term. In the near-term, Williams observes that reduced participant mobility make this an opportune time for sponsors to update participant addresses.

To Show Participants You Care, Help Them Avoid Cashing Out Post-CARES Act

As participants affected by the COVID-19 crisis consider whether or not to withdraw retirement savings under provisions of the CARES Act, RCH’s Spencer Williams offers plan sponsors constructive advice for engaging them.Writing in RCH’s Consolidation Corner, Williams acknowledges the need for millions to have a “financial lifeline” but suggests that sponsors remind participants via email communications and digital content “that their retirement savings should be considered a last resort for meeting emergency expenses, especially during the present crisis.”

New Research Confirms Clear Shift Towards Plan-to-Plan Portability

How Socially Responsible Corporations Will Solve the 401(k) Cashout Crisis

Writing in the Consolidation Corner blog, RCH's Tom Hawkins makes the case that socially conscious private-sector corporations will soon solve the nation's 401(k) cashout leakage crisis by fully-embracing plan-to-plan portability, including auto portability. Three key developments drive Hawkins' conclusions, including 1) a growing understanding of the problem and its societal impacts, 2) access to a viable solution and 3) clear acknowledgment of a responsibility to act for the benefit of society. Hawkins further notes that this view is being echoed in retirement research & public policy circles.

How Sponsors Can Help Minorities Save More for Retirement

In his latest byline in the Consolidation Corner blog, RCH President & CEO Spencer Williams addresses the cashout leakage crisis, which disproportionately affects minorities, including African-Americans and Hispanics. Auto portability, says Williams, can make all the difference in solving the crisis, but requires that "sponsors themselves, as well as their recordkeepers, take the next step by implementing....auto portability" -- an action which he characterizes as being completely consistent with a recent public statement by the Business Roundtable, and endorsed by 181 CEOs of the nation's largest corporations.

The Surprising Migratory Patterns of Job-Changing Participants

In his latest Consolidation Corner article, RCH President & CEO Spencer Williams utilizes EBRI data to examine the migratory patterns of job-changing participants. Looking specifically at the size of their former employers' plans (expressed in terms of numbers of participants) compared to the size of their most-recent active plan, Williams finds that the vast majority (82.98%) of these participants go to an employer with a plan equal in size, or larger than, their former employer’s plan. Only 17.02% of participants go to employers with smaller plans, and a mere 1.9% leave employers with large plans to go to an employer with a small plan (less than 100 participants). This data, says Williams, should significantly allay industry concerns that the adoption of auto portability for small balances could result in harmful participant outcomes.

The Most Promising Policies to Reduce 401(k) Cashout Leakage

In his five-part series in Consolidation Corner, RCH's Tom Hawkins sheds light on the problem of cashout leakage, a silent crisis that unnecessarily robs millions of Americans of their retirement security. In his fourth article in the series, Hawkins addresses policies with the most promise to reduce the 401(k) cashout leakage problem.

The Magnitude of the 401(k) Cashout Leakage Problem

In his five-part series in Consolidation Corner, RCH's Tom Hawkins sheds light on the problem of cashout leakage, a silent crisis that unnecessarily robs millions of Americans of their retirement security. In his third article in the series, Hawkins examines the magnitude of the 401(k) cashout leakage problem, sharing new statistics recently supplied by EBRI, and offering some interesting comparisons so the reader can fully-grasp the enormity of the problem.