News

A Step Forward, But Will Standardized Forms Fix Retirement System Fragmentation?

Writing in 401k Specialist, RCH’s Tom Hawkins provides his point of view on IRS Notice 2026-49 (Guidance on Section 324 of the SECURE 2.0 Act with Respect to Rollovers), which proposes four model forms and a five-step process designed to facilitate plan-to-plan portability. While Hawkins views the proposed guidance as “a welcome and constructive development” he also makes the case for a market-driven digital infrastructure that would more fully address the problem of systemic friction in our retirement system.

Previously featured in RCH's Consolidation Corner

Analyzing The Latest Regulatory Updates For Auto Portability

In an interview with wealth guru Russ Alan Prince appearing in Financial Advisor Magazine, Michael Kreps of the Groom Law Group provides his host with a thorough run-down on pending DOL guidance on auto portability. Kreps also addresses other related topics, including the ability to transfer Roth IRA balances, as well as questions about sub-$1,000 balances. Kreps closes the discussion with a point for the plan advisor audience, stating: "advisors should be aware that there is no cost to the sponsor for auto portability. The only cost for the program is a one-time transfer fee paid from the account at the time the assets are rolled into (not out of) a 401(k) plan."

Auto-Portability Final Rule Nears Final Stage

Writing in PSCA News, content writer & reporter Paul Mulholland addresses the pending status of the DOL's final rule on auto portability transactions. Mulholland indicates that the proposed rule has now been sent to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, moving the DOL closer to promulgating final rules for auto portability, the service delivered by the Portability Services Network to reduce retirement plan leakage and to deliver seamless, plan-to-plan portability for small accounts.

Financial Literacy Isn't Just About Saving -- It's About Protecting What You've Earned

Writing in Kiplinger.com, RCH President & CEO Spencer Williams makes a compelling case for retirement savings preservation to become a pillar of financial literacy, alongside learning to save and invest. Williams provides real-world examples of the power of preservation and offers readers with four ways to hold onto their savings in the face of life events.

Plan Churn: The Hidden Threat to a Mobile Workforce’s Retirement Savings

Writing in 401k Specialist, RCH’s Tom Hawkins examines the phenomenon of “plan churn” – which he defines as the ongoing incidence of plan terminations and changes in plan recordkeepers. When combined with a highly mobile workforce, plan churn can create a “perfect storm” that magnifies the risk of cashout leakage as well as the problem of left-behind accounts. Plan churn, asserts Hawkins, can be best addressed by automated account consolidation, as identified in Retirement Clearinghouse’s vision of a digital clearinghouse model for the defined contribution system.

Previously featured in the RCH Consolidation Corner Blog

How Flexible Can Annuities Be?

Writing in PLANSPONSOR, Elizabeth Harris examines how today's annuity solutions are evolving to provide both guaranteed lifetime income and greater participant flexibility. Retirement Clearinghouse (RCH) Chief Marketing Officer Tom Hawkins shares his perspective on the importance of portability and preserving retirement savings as workers change jobs, highlighting how flexible retirement income solutions can better meet the needs of today's increasingly mobile workforce. Hawkins' comments reinforce Retirement Clearinghouse's commitment to helping participants maintain continuity in their retirement savings while expanding access to lifetime income options.

The “Plumbing” Needed to Improve the Retirement Saving System

Writing in his Retirement Translator substack, Andy Eschtruth, Director of the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College, examines the longstanding requirement to establish "digital connections" to facilitate "moving money easily, accurately, and securely among various actors in the retirement savings system, including employers, recordkeepers, payroll providers, banks, the Treasury, and individuals." Eschtruth refers to this colloquially as "plumbing" and credits Retirement Clearinghouse (RCH) as being both a pioneer and a visionary in establishing auto portability and in advocating for a broader digital solution that would function as "as a shared utility that would be available to all actors and versatile enough to build once and use many times.”

Busting 5 Key Myths About Auto Portability

Writing in 401K Specialist, Senior Vice President of Portability Services Network (PSN) Strategy and Development Steve Holman separates fact from fiction by examining five persistent "myths" concerning auto portability. Following his truth-telling, Holman observes that "the continued need to debunk myths about auto portability is actually a sign of how far the solution has come" and that "the conversation has shifted from whether auto portability can work to how quickly adoption will continue to grow."