News

2025: A Breakthrough Year for Portability

Writing in 401k Specialist, RCH’s Tom Hawkins looks back on 2025, when three important developments emerged related to the topic of retirement savings portability. Taken together, Hawkins asserts that these developments represent a “breakthrough year for portability” and that “the pattern from 2025 is clear: retirement savings portability—especially for small-balance accounts—is becoming a more central element of plan design discussions."

Millions Could Close the Retirement Gap with One Small Change

Writing in Money, lead data journalist Adam Hardy examines the beneficial impact of automatic features for 401(k) plans and their participants. Hardy draws heavily on the results of a March 2025 EBRI Issue Brief which detailed the benefits of 3 "automatic" features, including auto enrollment, auto escalation and auto portability, and quotes EBRI's director of wealth benefits research Craig Copeland. Hardy includes the study's key auto portability-related result, which found that "when automatic portability alone is used by all plans, the reduction in the retirement savings shortfall reaches over 11 percent for those ages 35–39."

401(k) Plan-to-Plan Rollovers Hit $20B: Retirement Clearinghouse

Ignites' Beagan Wilcox-Volz covers the 12/16/25 announcement by Retirement Clearinghouse (RCH) that it has "moved $20 billion in assets from old accounts held through former employers' plans into new, active accounts or IRAs since 2009, when [the firm] was founded." Importantly, the article notes that "[t]he $20 billion milestone includes small 401(k) accounts moved by the Portability Services Network, an industry 'utility' established by Retirement Clearinghouse and six recordkeepers, which are founding owner members of the network — Alight, Fidelity, Empower, Principal, Vanguard and TIAA."

*Requires subscription

RCH Hits Another Milestone in Preventing Retirement Savings Leakage

NAPA Net's Ted Godbout covers the news that Retirement Clearinghouse (RCH) has "hit another milestone" in its drive to bring portability and consolidation to America's defined contribution system by consolidating "more than 525,000 retirement savings accounts, encompassing more than $20 billion in assets into existing 401(k) or IRA accounts since its founding 16 years ago." Godbout notes the changing composition of consolidations, with recent volumes being influenced by assisted roll-ins performed for the Federal Thrift Savings Plan, as well as growing volumes from the Portability Services Network (PSN).

Also featured in PSCA News

How Auto Portability Is Reshaping The 401(k) Experience For New Hires

Greg Long, head of public policy and the defined contribution public sector leader at Alight Solutions, member of the Board of Directors at the Portability Services Network (PSN) and previous Executive Director of the Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board, sits down with Russ Alan Prince of Financial Advisor Magazine to address how auto portability is reshaping the 401(k) experience for new hires. In a wide-ranging discussion, Long states that auto portability "removes....barriers, transforming what used to be an ordeal into a seamless, cost-effective process" and adds that auto portability improves plan metrics, while enhancing the effectiveness of auto enrollment -- collectively representing "a true advancement in the 401(k) experience."

More Than $20B, Across More Than 525.000 Accounts

The 401kWire's Selma Khenissi reports on the announcement from Retirement Clearinghouse (RCH) that it has consolidated over $20 billion in retirement assets, which represents "a doubling in four years." Khenissi's piece adds color to the news with quotes from RCH's Neal Ringquist, who speaks to the volumes recently contributed by the Portability Services Network (PSN) as well as the fact that these results represent "positive participant outcomes and plan metrics."

Retirement Clearinghouse Consolidates $20B in Assets

401k Specialist's Amanda Umpierrez covers the news that Retirement Clearinghouse (RCH) has surpassed $20B in retirement savings account consolidations. Umperriez quotes RCH President & CEO Spencer Williams, and notes the importance of the Portability Services Network (PSN) in recent and projected future growth of the firm's consolidation practice.

Retirement Clearinghouse Reports Consolidating $20B in Assets

PLANSPONSOR's Emily Boyle reports on the 12/16/25 announcement by Retirement Clearinghouse (RCH), writing that RCH "has consolidated more than 525,000 retirement savings accounts, comprising more than $20 billion in assets, into existing 401(k) or individual retirement accounts over the past 16 years." Important to the consolidation narrative and results, Boyle also notes that the Portability Services Network (PSN) "is a collaboration between RCH and six major recordkeepers—Alight Solutions, Vanguard, Fidelity Investments, Empower Retirement, TIAA and Principal Financial Group."

Also featured in PlanAdviser