Consolidation Corner Blog

Here’s to the Future “Graduates” of Auto Portability

While auto portability’s immediate impact in reducing cashouts is well-documented, new insights reveal another powerful long-term effect: systematic balance consolidation that helps small-balance job-changing participants cross the vital $10,000 savings hurdle, where retirement security becomes self-reinforcing. Writing the RCH’s Consolidation Corner blog, Tom Hawkins characterizes this effect as “graduating” from auto portability and uses Auto Portability Simulation (APS) data to follow a hypothetical “class” of 100 small-balance job-changers through their first three jobs – where 36% compile a perfect record of savings preservation and balance consolidation.

Auto Portability: It’s About the Participants

Writing in RCH's Consolidation Corner blog, Tom Hawkins reminds readers what auto portability is all about -- improving the retirement security of marginalized defined contribution participants. These participants -- comprised largely of minorities, women, younger and lower-income participants -- not only need auto portability the most, but there's solid evidence that they want it as well. To support his claim, Hawkins cites three highly-regarded surveys that have found a strong participant preference for auto portability and for consolidating small balances within the defined contribution system, and believes that recent developments will "augur well for Americans’ retirement security."

Every Dollar Saved for Retirement Matters -- So Save More By Avoiding Cash-Outs & Consolidating 401(k) Accounts

RCH Founder, President & CEO Spencer Williams examines the implications of a study from Boston College's Center for Retirement Research, finding that the youngest Baby Boomers, with less access to defined benefit (DB) plans than their predecessors, are drawing down their 401(k)-based retirement savings at much faster rates, with many poised to run out of retirement savings by age 85. These findings underscore the need to preserve more 401(k) savings for younger generations, and according to Williams, the best way to do that is "to consolidate 401(k) savings accounts.....and to avoid making any premature cash-outs." Sponsors, states Williams, "can....help participants save more for retirement, so they don’t outlive their savings, by adopting auto portability.

Cracking the Code to True 401(k) Portability

America’s 401(k) system, long plagued by friction, produces $92.4 billion of excessive cash-out leakage annually. In recent years and culminating in 2021, the private sector has finally “cracked the code” and is delivering innovative fintech solutions, combined with education and personal assistance to reduce friction and to enable true 401(k) portability.

Three New Year's Resolutions for Plan Sponsors to Consider

Writing in Consolidation Corner, RCH EVP Neal Ringquist offers retirement plan sponsors three New Year's resolutions that, if adopted, will facilitate retirement savings portability and make 2021 a better year for the plan as well as for its participants.

How Auto Portability Serves Participants’ Best Interests: Pt 4 Auto Portability Enhances Participants’ Financial Wellness

In the 4th installment of his five-part series on "How Auto Portability Serves Participants' Best Interests", RCH's Tom Hawkins examines how a program of auto portability can enhance 401(k) participants' financial wellness. To make his case, Hawkins identifies three ways auto portability promotes financial well-being, including: 1) preventing unnecessary 401(k) cashouts, 2) helping 401(k) participants clear the "$10,000 hurdle" and 3) simplifying retirement planning.

How Auto Portability Serves Participants’ Best Interests - Part 1: Dramatically Improved Participant Outcomes

The Missing Piece in 401(k) Retirement Income: Consolidation

Over the span of their working lives, Baby Boomers have witnessed the birth of 401(k) plans as optional, "supplemental" retirement plans, seen the rapid spread of 401(k) plans throughout the U.S. retirement system, and tracked the evolution of the 401(k) plan into the primary and often, only -- retirement savings plan to be offered by their employers.