News

How to Handle the Explosion of Small-Balance IRAs

In his opinion piece in 401k Specialist Magazine, RCH's Tom Hawkins examines EBRI's 10/1/20 Fast Facts - Losing Ground Safely: Small IRAs’ Large Stake in Money - which provides new insight into the magnitude of a small-balance IRA “explosion” fueled by automatic rollovers, as well as the sub-optimal retirement outcomes they produce. EBRI's new information provides yet another data point in favor of 401(k) consolidation via auto portability and could serve to inform future regulatory guidance by expanding auto portability’s mandate to consolidate these previously “stranded” safe harbor IRAs back into our 401(k) system.

The Finances of Race

Writing in The Leader's Edge, David Tobenkin examines how employee benefits need to do more to help racial minorities gain traction in saving for their retirement. Tobenkin extensively quotes Robert L. Johnson, founder & Chairman of The RLJ Companies and majority owner of RCH. Tobenkin then turns to RCH's founder, President & CEO Spencer Williams, citing the racial disparities in 401(k) cashout statistics and profiling the RCH Auto Portability program, which was recently adopted by Alight Solutions.

From Tired to Inspired: A Roadmap for 401k Roll-ins

In his latest article in 401k Specialist Magazine, RCH's Tom Hawkins walks readers through a "roadmap" for the progression of 401(k) roll-ins from ‘tired’ to ‘wired’ and finally, to the ‘inspired’ state that will eventually characterize 401(k) plan-to-plan portability. The article also includes a video providing viewers with the essential points made in the piece.

Automated 401k Portability: An Idea Whose Time Has Come

Writing in 401k Specialist, RCH's Tom Hawkins examines the vital importance of automation in transforming 401(k) portability from an impractical “great idea” into a reality – and not just for small-balance participants, but eventually for the entire 401(k) ecosystem – including participants, plan sponsors and their service providers.

Bracing for the COVID ‘long haul’

Writing in Employee Benefit News, Arizent's Walden Siew examines the 'long haul' effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, and turns to RCH's President & CEO Spencer Williams to assess the impact of the virus on the state of retirement in America. Referring to his earlier article in EBN, Siew paraphrases Williams, stating that Americans are "facing another economic crisis that is sure to hurt financial security during retirement."

Why You Need To Be Careful About COVID-Related Withdrawals

Writing in Forbes, personal finance contributor John F. Wasik addresses the need for participant caution when taking coronavirus-related distributions (CRDs) under provisions of the CARES Act. Wasik urges those taking CRDs to "get back on track" to maintain a robust retirement plan, and quotes RCH EVP Neal Ringquist's recent article in PLANSPONSOR to highlight his point.

401k Plan Terminations Could Produce Wave of Leakage

In his latest opinion piece in 401(k) Specialist, RCH’s Tom Hawkins draws attention to the coming surge in COVID-19 related terminating 401(k) plans, which Hawkins predicts could result in a new wave of cashout leakage. Participants of these terminating plans, when given an ultimatum to act, will cash out far too often, unless they are provided with sufficient education and consolidation assistance. In their final act of fiduciary responsibility, Hawkins urges sponsors of terminating plans to insist on these measures to stem unnecessary cashout leakage and to protect their participants’ retirement security.

Mitigating COVID-19’s catastrophic impact on retirement readiness

Writing in Employee Benefit News, RCH President & CEO Spencer Williams addresses the urgent need to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on Americans' retirement readiness. Williams observes that the surge in pandemic-driven unemployment, the relaxed restrictions on withdrawals, along with a pre-existing propensity to cash out -- spells trouble for retirement security. To help address the growing threat, Williams urges sponsors and recordkeepers to adopt auto portability, which he states will "discourage participants from cashing out, but also eliminate the need for automatic cash-outs."

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