More Than $2T Sitting in 'Left-Behind' 401(k)s
Beagan Wilcox-Volz, writing in Ignites, examines new industry analysis projecting that $2 trillion is "left behind" in "forgotten" 401(k) accounts. In the article, Wilcox-Volz turns to Anqi Chen of the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College, who notes that "today there are solutions that make the process less cumbersome" -- citing increased plan sponsor adoption of auto portability via the Portability Services Network, adding that "[t]his growth is encouraging, and I think it will make workers' hard-earned retirement savings much more portable."
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Nearly 21,000 Plan Sponsors Have Adopted PSN Auto-Portability
PLANSPONSOR's Emily Boyle reports on the latest news from the Portability Services Network, the consortium of defined contribution plan recordkeepers who have championed auto portability. Boyles writes that "20,997 plan sponsors have elected to adopt automatic portability, as of September 30. The number reflects a 1,225-plan (6.2%) increase from the 19,772 plans reported as of June 30." Boyle's piece extensively quotes RCH EVP & Chief Revenue Officer Neal Ringquist, and also quotes Empower's Dave Gray from a prior interview.
Auto Portability: Meeting the Needs AND Wants of Participants
When American workers change jobs, the fate of their retirement savings is often left hanging in the balance – especially for those with accounts less than $7,000. But today, with the continuing adoption of auto portability via the Portability Services Network, the story is changing. Auto portability is now beginning to address the most pressing needs of small-balance participants: reducing cashout leakage, automating consolidation, and making the preservation of retirement savings the default, “easiest choice” – while also closely aligning with what participants want, as revealed in multiple, authoritative surveys.
Regulatory Roundup: Auto Portability
In this video episode of Fidelity's Regulatory Roundup, show host Tre Hearn and guest Katie Hutchinson, VP, Defined Contribution Product Platforms, dive into Auto Portability -- the game-changing solution that helps workers by simplifying the rollover process of their retirement savings when switching jobs. Topics covered in the video include:
- 00:18 What happens when a worker changes jobs and doesn't rollover their retirement savings to their new employer?
- 01:03 Which workers does this affect most?
- 01:17 Does the SECURE 2.0 Act provide a solution for workers moving jobs?
- 01:42 The Portability Services Network and Auto Portability
- 03:00 How do employers benefit from joining the Portability Services Network?
How Empower Is Helping To Strengthen Retirement Plan Portability
Financial advisor and private wealth guru Russ Alan Prince interviews Empower's Dave Gray, executive vice president of the firm's Enterprise Solutions group and a founding board member of the Portability Services Network (PSN). Prince and Gray engage in a wide-ranging discussion concerning the key role that is being played by auto portability, as delivered by PSN. In their discussion, Gray is an unabashed advocate of auto portability, and notes that "over 11,000 of the plans we work with have signed up" for the innovative service already, and adds that "as more time goes by, and due diligence is completed, we are seeing more and more large plan sponsors become comfortable enough as fiduciaries to add the auto portability service to their plans."
Retirement Planning In 2025: What’s On People’s Minds
Contributor Jamie Hopkins takes stock of the state of retirement planning in 2025, noting the "shaky" sentiment amongst retirement savers, while offering those savers four "smart moves" to consider as they continue their retirement journey. Included in Hopkins' recommendations is wise advice to "consolidate your accounts" so that "changing jobs over the years [does not] leave you with scattered retirement accounts." To support consolidation, Hopkins observes that "new services like 'Auto Portability' are making this even simpler for small balances."
Here's why an alarming number of workers cash out 401(k) plans
Writing in USA Today, journalist Daniel de Vise addresses the 401(k) system's cashout leakage problem, turning to a variety of industry experts, including representatives from Vanguard and Fidelity, who address the magnitude of the problem as well as many of the systemic and behavioral issues that drive cashout decisions. Pivoting off a quote from AARP's David John, de Vise closes his piece by focusing on auto portability, and cites the Portability Services Network consortium, where "most big retirement-plan providers participate in the [auto portability] effort."
Lost 401(k)s are costing employees: How employers can help with rollovers
EBN's Lyn Cavanaugh, interviewing Mindy Yu, Director of Investing, Betterment at Work, discuss the topic of "lost 401(k)s" and how employers can assist former employees with moving their retirement savings forward. Addressing the topic of auto portability, Wu states that "employers can take a more proactive role by....partnering with platforms that support...auto-portability...[to] reduce the chance that savings go missing in the first place."
