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Thought Leadership
Retirement Clearinghouse (RCH) is an innovator in the retirement services industry, developing and introducing industry best practices that are moving retirement forward by delivering retirement portability for millions of job-changing Americans. RCH is proud to showcase our thought leadership, as well as other public policy makers and industry leaders whose positions are consistent with our own views and practices.
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.
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.
Alight Solutions Releases New Study on Small-Balance Cashouts
Alight Solutions, a leader in defined contribution plan services, released a new study that addresses the problem of small-balance 401(k) cashouts. The study, The impact of 401(k) cash-outs on retirement income, examines the very high prevalence of small-balance 401(k) cashouts, the low incidence of 401(k) roll-ins and provides illustrations that depict the importance of preserving these small balances for retirement. Finally, the study points to RCH Auto Portability as an important "emerging new tool" in the fight against cashouts, for which Alight is "pleased to be an early adopter."
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.
There Is An Easy Way To Avoid Billions In Lost Retirement Savings
In her latest column for Forbes, Angela Antonelli, executive director of Georgetown University's Center for Retirement Initiatives (CRI), makes clear her advocacy for solving the nation's cashout leakage problem through the application of auto portability. Antonelli, a noted retirement researcher and public policy expert, details the negative societal impact of cashout leakage, before making a strong case for the adoption of auto portability, a solution that she believes will deliver particular benefits to minorities. Antonelli concludes with a clear call to action, stating that "we have a solution and it is time to get it done."
Savings Preservation Working Group Releases Cashout Leakage Study
The Savings Preservation Working Group (SPWG), a DC-based coalition seeking to promote best practice retirement policies, announced the release of its first Issue Brief. Entitled "Cashing Out: The Systemic Impact of Withdrawing Savings Before Retirement" -- the report examines a range of recent research and data to quantify
the vast scope of leakage from the defined contribution retirement system, and "represents the most complete review of retirement leakage data to date.
Mercer Exec: Auto Portability 'Essential for Shoring Up US Retirement System'
In his capacity as Head of US Defined Contribution and Financial Wellness Research, Mercer's Neil Lloyd notes the recent emergence of serious industry dialogue on plan-to-plan retirement savings portability. Long a proponent of portability, Lloyd recognizes the inherent problems associated with holding multiple retirement saving accounts. In his piece, Lloyd strongly advocates for auto portability, stating that it "might be the solution to less efficient small-balance accounts." Lloyd goes further, opining that auto portability should be considered a legislative priority, writing that "SECURE ACT 2 will be vastly improved if provisions further supporting auto-portability are included."
New EBRI Research Shows Millennials Benefit from Auto Portability
Expanding on research comparing DB plans vs. 401(k) plans with auto enrollment, on 2/14/19 EBRI released an infographic revealing the beneficial effect of auto portability on Milliennials. When auto portability is added to 401(k) plans, Millennials -- both male and female, for all years of eligibility, and for all income quartiles -- experience significant improvements in their 401(k) plan performance, as measured by equivalent break-even DB plan accrual rates. The latest EBRI analysis adds to a considerable body of evidence that auto portability is a leading retirement savings public policy initiative.