RCH Thought Leadership

Read about RCH's thought leadership positions, including Auto Portability.


Apr
27
2021

Want to Avoid Legal Jeopardy? Adopt Solutions That Enable Portability for Small Accounts

Writing in Benefits Quarterly magazine, RCH founder, president and CEO Spencer Williams examines the multi-faceted problem of "small accounts" and describes how plan sponsors, providers and recordkeepers can take proactive measures to solve the problem by adopting auto portability. By adopting auto portability, Williams contends that the improved outcomes for participants could "mitigate the risk of 401(k) fee lawsuits and other legal actions down the line."

Apr
05
2021

Portability on Steroids: Let’s See It! – Part Two

In part 2 of their 2-part interview, RCH’s Spencer Williams continues to discuss auto portability with Lisa Massena, Founder of Massena Associates. In part 2, Williams turns to the importance of Alight Solutions (the first large recordkeeper who has adopted auto portability), touches on a range of views on auto portability from within the DC Beltway, and offers his insight on broader issues, including the overall level of retirement savings coverage.

Apr
05
2021

Portability on Steroids: Let’s See It!

In part 1 of their 2-part interview, RCH’s Founder, President & CEO Spencer Williams takes on the topic of auto portability with Lisa Massena, Founder of Massena Associates and publisher of the Retirement Security Matters newsletter. In part 1, their conversation highlights the fundamental dynamics driving the need for auto portability and offers readers a primer on how auto portability works.

Mar
17
2021

Consolidating the Gains from a Program of Retirement Savings Portability

Following on to the 2013 study by Boston Research Group (now Boston Research Technologies), a new study released by Retirement Clearinghouse (RCH) revisits a mega plan sponsor’s ongoing experience with a program of 401(k) retirement savings portability, and finds that not only have the benefits of the original program persisted, they’ve grown, with plan participants continuing to realize significant, measurable benefits.

Jan
25
2021

New Research on Locating Missing Participants Augments DOL Guidance

On 1/26/21, Retirement Clearinghouse (RCH) released a study that advances the art and science of locating missing 401(k) plan participants. The study – Improving the Effectiveness of Electronic Missing Participant Searches – comes on the heels of U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) guidance on the topic and is highly-useful for plan sponsors who utilize electronic searches, or “e-Searches” -- as they are referenced in the study.

Sep
30
2020

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.

Sep
27
2018

Pairing 401(k) Savings Preservation and Expanded Access for America’s Minorities

In this article, RCH's Spencer Williams and Tom Hawkins address an important retirement public policy question: How would a pairing of auto portability with open multiple employer plans (or “open MEPs”) impact the retirement savings of America’s minorities, and particularly, African-Americans?

Aug
16
2018

A Tale of Two 401(k) Balance Segments

RCH's Tom Hawkins reveals new research that predicts 401(k) participant outcomes following separation for two balance segments – those above & below $15,000. Using logic developed in the Auto Portability Simulation to track & tally participant outcomes 8 years following separation, the results reveal a startling contrast between the two segments – with participants in the over-$15,000 segment experiencing far-superior outcomes to those in the under-$15,000 segment. To address the disparities, Hawkins advocates for a new “automatic” in the form of auto portability.

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