States Are Requiring Retirement Plans – Presented by Mark K. Lund, Financial Advisor

Presented by | March 21, 2022

Will new mandates solve an old financial problem?

Too many Americans save too little for retirement. This problem has been discussed for decades in all kinds of media, and there seems to be no easy way to solve it.

Fourteen states are giving it a try, however: they have passed or introduced laws requiring or urging companies to provide retirement savings opportunities to employees. In most of these 14 states, employers must either sponsor a retirement plan, or automatically enroll their workers in a state program.1

Payroll giant ADP notes that a majority of states have considered mandatory retirement saving programs. A similar mandate is being discussed on Capitol Hill: H.R. 2954, informally called SECURE ACT 2.0, would require employers to auto-enroll employees in workplace retirement plans. This bill stalled in Congress in 2021, but the House and Senate are likely to revisit it this year.2,3

California and New York are among the states now stipulating worker enrollment. By June 30, 2022, any private employer in California with more than five full-time employees (FTEs) must offer those FTEs a retirement savings program, enroll them in the new CalSavers retirement plan, or face fines after 90 days of non-compliance. New York now requires most businesses and non-profits with ten or more employees to either provide retirement savings choices for them or auto-enroll them in the New York State Secure Choice Savings Program.1,4

In Vermont and Washington, the employer mandate is voluntary. In all 14 states, employees have the right to opt out of the state-run retirement programs.1

Will efforts like this solve the problem of inadequate retirement saving? Not entirely. Only about 50% of Americans participate in employer-sponsored retirement programs. Tens of millions of Americans lack access to any kind of retirement plan.5

Even if SECURE Act 2.0 becomes law, its automatic enrollment stipulation would not be retroactive. Automatic enrollment would only be a requirement for new workplace retirement plans, not those created in the past. It could also allow employer-sponsored retirement plans to set a deferral rate as low as 3%, and many financial advisors would like to see savers direct greater percentages of their earnings toward retirement.5

The list of states with retirement program mandates either live or oncoming includes California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Vermont, Virginia, and Washington. Twenty-one other states have introduced bills into their legislatures that could create similar requirements.1

If you ever have any questions about your investments or retirement plans, please feel free to give me a call at 801-545-0696.

 

Citations
1. Nasdaq.com, January 12, 2022
2. ADP, January 30, 2022
3. Barron’s, January 3, 2022
4. National Law Review, October 29, 2021
5. MarketWatch, March 31, 2021

This information should not be construed as investment, tax or legal advice and may not be relied on for the purpose of avoiding any Federal tax penalty. All information is believed to be from reliable sources; however we make no representation as to its completeness or accuracy. All economic and performance data is historical and not indicative of future results. Market indices discussed are unmanaged. Investors cannot invest in unmanaged indices. The publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting or other professional services. If assistance is needed, the reader is advised to engage the services of a competent professional. This material was prepared by MarketingLibrary, Inc., for Mark Lund, Mark is known as a Wealth Advisor, The 401k Advisor, Investor Coach, Financial Advisor, Financial Planner, Investment Advisor and author of The Effective Investor. Mark offers investment advisory services through Stonecreek Wealth Advisors, Inc. a fiduciary, independent, fee-only, Registered Investment Advisor firm providing investment and retirement planning for individuals and 401k consulting for small businesses. Mark’s newsletter is called The Fiduciary Report. Cities served in Utah are: Salt Lake County, Utah County, Park City, Salt Lake City, Murray, West Jordan, Sandy, Draper, South Jordan, Provo, Orem, Lehi, Highland, Alpine, American Fork.

Category: Blog, Newsletters

About the Author ()

Mark K. Lund is the author of The Effective Investor, a #1 Best Seller, and founder of Stonecreek Wealth Advisors, Inc. an independent, fee-only, Registered Investment Advisory firm. He has provided articles for or been quoted in: The Wall Street Journal, The Salt Lake Tribune, The Enterprise Newspaper, The Utah Business Connect Magazine, US News & World Report, and Newsmax.com, just to name a few.  Mark publishes two newsletters called, “The Mark Lund Growth Report” and “Mark Lund on Money.”  Mark provides CPE (continuing professional education) courses for CPAs.  You may also have seen him on KUTV Channel 2, or as a guest speaker at a local association or business. Mark provides investment and retirement planning services for individuals and 401(k) consulting for small businesses. In his book, The Effective Investor, Mark exposes the false narrative magazines, media, big Wall Street firms, and most advisors want you to believe. The good news is that Mark will show you that you don’t need their speculative ways of investing in order to be a successful investor. Get a free copy when you schedule your initial consultation.

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