Thought Leadership

Improving retirement readiness for underrepresented groups

Alight Solutions has released a new research report, entitled "Improving Retirement Readiness for Underrepresented Groups." The new paper identifies six key actions that plan sponsors can undertake to boost retirement savings for historically under-represented groups. In one of those actions, Alight advises employers that "implementing auto-portability can help reduce the number of automatic cash-outs that occur when people change employers" and that auto portability's impact is "most profound for marginalized groups."

Direct link to report (PDF format)

National Urban League, NAACP Endorse 401k Auto Portability

Robert L. Johnson, Founder and Chairman of The RLJ Companies and majority owner of Retirement Clearinghouse (RCH), has secured endorsements for auto portability from two premier civil rights organizations – the National Urban League, and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) – both with over a century of experience advocating for solutions that address the inequities and economic challenges experienced by Black Americans and by other communities of color. Writing in 401k Specialist, RCH's Renée Wilder Guerin, Executive Vice President, Public Policy, summarizes these major developments.

The Aspen Leadership Forum on Retirement Savings

In a publication released 1/6/2022 as part of the Aspen Institute's Financial Security Program, the 2021 Aspen Leadership Forum on Retirement Savings Report is a summary of the April 2021 Aspen Leadership Forum on Retirement Savings. The Forum's report devotes a page to "Six Stats That Tell the Portability Story" which notes the propensity of American workers to change jobs and to cash out. It also mentions two compelling statistics: 1) that 85% of participants like the idea of automatic portability and 2) that 57% of retirement experts supported a government mandate for auto portability, while almost half (48%) believed that automatic portability was feasible without such a mandate.

EBRI's Lori Lucas Featured in Retirement Management Journal

EBRI's CEO Lori Lucas is featured in the current issue of Retirement Management Journal in an article entitled: “The Visionaries Series – Lori Lucas, CFA – The Economic Importance of Employee Benefits for Americans Financial Security.” In the wide-ranging piece, Lucas is interviewed by RMJ editor-in-chief Robert Powell, along with Stacy Schaus, founder & CEO of Schaus Group LLC. Lucas explains EBRI's efforts to bring clarity to the problem of cashout leakage, as well as their ongoing efforts to analyze the impact of auto portability on preserving Americans' retirement savings.

What the Pension Protection Act has taught us about saving for retirement

Writing in Employee Benefit News, RCH President & CEO Spencer Williams marks the 15th anniversary of the Pension Protection Act (PPA) and offers his views on the unintended consequences of that legislation. Acknowledging that the automatic enrollment feature has been successful in increasing plan participation, Williams notes that the feature also resulted in a “sharp uptick in small, stranded 401(k) savings accounts” that – absent easy plan-to-plan asset portability – has led to increased participant fees as well as higher levels of cash outs. In response, Williams observes that “the private and public sectors have worked together to create solutions” such as auto portability, which can help rectify the PPA’s flaws, and allow Americans to save more for retirement.

Graff’s Path: The ARA CEO on Bipartisanship, the Coverage Gap and What’s Next for the Organization

To mark the 25th anniversary of his tenure, Brian Graff, CEO of the prestigious American Retirement Association (ARA) sat down with 401k Specialist Editor-in-Chief John Sullivan to discuss a range of topics, including the organization's history of effectively influencing retirement legislation. During the interview, the pair turned to the important topic of addressing 401(k) cashout leakage, where Graff voiced his clear view that auto portability represents the best approach to solving the problem.

Exclusive Interview: Spencer Williams Says Post Separation Leakage “A Huge Problem”

Fiduciary News' Chris Carosa conducts a wide-ranging interview of RCH President & CEO Spencer Williams, gaining Williams' insights on America's 401(k) system, including how he is solving the problem of 401(k) cashout leakage via the RCH Auto Portability program. In the interview, Carosa covers a range of topics, including Williams' background and formative career experiences, the state of the 401(k) system, and of course, specifics about the RCH Auto Portability program and how it will have a positive impact on participants, plan sponsors and providers.

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Sen. Tim Scott Releases Report on Retirement Security and Features Auto Portability

On 10/28/21 Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC), Ranking Member of the U.S. Special Committee on Aging, released a report entitled The American Dream in our Golden Years: Improving Retirement Security and Building Independence, which addressed the issues, challenges and "solutions for the future to help millions of Americans save for retirement and enjoy their golden years." Scott's paper singled out auto portability as one of those solutions, having "opened the door for millions of Americans to start setting money aside for retirement."