News

Small 401(k)s may automatically follow workers to their next job — except Roth money

Writing for CBNC, personal finance reporter Sarah Agostino examines the plan-to-plan portability afforded by auto portability, as delivered by the Portability Services Network, and highlights a gap that does not permit Roth funds to move through the system. Agostino turns to RCH EVP Neal Ringquist, who provides an overview of some key auto portability metrics, including consolidations, plans adopted and the number of active participants currently served by the network. Regarding Roth balance limitations, Ringquist states: “we are hoping this restriction is addressed by legislation or regulators soon, as it would open up additional accounts that can take advantage of auto-portability, particularly those in state-based auto-IRA programs.”

Also featured in MSN Money

How to Build Out the Auto Portability Clearinghouse Our Retirement System Demands

On March 5, 2025, Retirement Clearinghouse (RCH) released a landmark whitepaper – Building Out Clearinghouse Services for the U.S. Retirement System: A Blueprint for a Digital Infrastructure. Writing in NAPA Net, RCH's Tom Hawkins summarizes the high-level, compelling case for expanding the set of clearinghouse services beyond auto portability, and explains why this initiative is absolutely required in order to "create a retirement ecosystem that does what it should have done all along: protect workers’ savings as they move through their careers, not lose them along the way."

Previously featured in RCH's Consolidation Corner blog; also featured in PSCA News

RCH Proposes ‘Digital Clearinghouse’ to Modernize Retirement Infrastructure

Writing in NAPA Net, Ted Godbout addresses the newly-released whitepaper from Retirement Clearinghouse (Building Out Clearinghouse Services for the U.S. Retirement System: A Blueprint for a Digital Infrastructure), which "details how a 'neutral, digital clearinghouse' can reduce retirement plan cash‑outs and the number of dormant accounts, all while enabling seamless interoperability across recordkeepers, custodians, and government programs." Godbout writes "[t]he clearinghouse concept would be modeled after the firm’s Auto Portability Network, but expanded to include additional functionality, such as a Saver’s Match Network, Auto Locate Network, and Digital Rollover Network."

Your State (and Trump) Wants to Help You Save for Retirement. Here's How

Covering retirement planning for Kiplinger, author Christy Beiber addresses some of the emerging ways that workers can boost their retirement savings, including participating in state-based Auto IRA plans, as well as taking advantage of the Saver's Match, a federal program that will launch in 2028, for the 2027 tax year. In her piece, Bieber provides readers with a link to the RCH Saver's Match Estimator, a specialized calculator developed by Retirement Clearinghouse that will estimate savers' potential matching contributions with the entry of their tax filing status, adjusted gross income and annual retirement plan contribution.

RCH Urges Plan Sponsors to Adopt Sound Uncashed-Check Resolution Policy

PLANSPONSOR's Emily Boyle provides an overview of a 2/24/26 RCH article entitled "Why Plan Sponsors Need a Clear Uncashed Distribution Check Policy", where RCH urges plan sponsors to adopt a sound uncashed check resolution policy. Boyle recaps the main points in the RCH article, which focus on the organization and structure of a sample policy, and informs readers about the sample uncashed check policy template that RCH has made available for download.

Who qualifies for Trump Accounts? Benefit mentioned at SOTU, explained

The USA Today author team of Kinsey Crowley and Daniel de Visé clarify Trump Accounts, which were mentioned at the President's 2/24/26 State of the Union Address. Detailing the new program, the authors turn to RCH founder & CEO Spencer Williams, who addresses the "unique set of rules" that characterize the Trump Account program, stating: "it’s unclear what happens if Granddad puts money in and your employer also puts money in,” adding: “all of that is going to be sorted out over time.”

Kelsey’s (K)orner: Cool Runnings and Auto Portability — How We Smooth the Track

Kelsey Mayo, Chief of Retirement Policy & Regulatory Affairs for the American Retirement Association (ARA), authors a piece in NAPA Net, addressing potential improvements that would "smooth the track" for auto portability, including allowing the portability of Roth balances, explicitly including sub-$1,000 balances and "expanding the parameters" to include balances greater than $7,000. Mayo closes by writing: "[a]uto portability is directionally correct. Leakage remains a very real threat—and this is meaningful progress."

SECURE 2.0 Adoption Trends: Plan Sponsors Lean Into Enhanced Catch-Up Contributions

Writing in 401k Specialist, Editor-in-Chief Brian Anderson offers insights into Vanguard's analysis of SECURE 2.0 adoption trends by their plan sponsor clients. With respect to auto portability adoption, Anderson writes that "the new analysis also shows auto portability is gaining traction" -- referencing the Vanguard analysis which found that "7% of its plans had adopted" the feature by year-end 2025. Anderson notes that this "comes on the heels of other recordkeepers announcements" and cites a November 2025 report by Fidelity indicating that more than one-third of its 26,500 plans have already adopted auto portability. Anderson adds that "[a]uto portability offers a structural solution to retirement savings leakage -- an issue policymakers have long targeted."