Menu
- News
- Press Releases
- Thought Leadership
- Consolidation Corner Blog
- 401k Consolidation
- Auto Enrollment
- Auto Portability
- Automatic Rollovers
- Cashout Leakage
- Cybersecurity
- ERISA Advisory Council
- Lifetime Plan Participation
- Managed Portability
- Missing Participants
- Mandatory Distributions
- Mobile Workforce
- Plan Termination
- Portability Services Network
- Public Policy
- Retirement Income
- Retirement Plan Portability
- Retirement Research
- Roll-In
- Safe Harbor IRA
- Saver's Match
- Uncashed Checks
- Consolidation Corner Channel
- Events
Consolidation Corner Blog
Consolidation Corner is the Retirement Clearinghouse (RCH) blog, and features the latest articles and bylines from our executives, addressing important retirement savings portability topics.
It’s The Final Countdown for 401(k) Plan Terminations
As we approach the 4th quarter of the calendar year, many plan sponsors – for a variety of reasons – are faced with the prospect of a 401(k) plan termination. For most, this will be the first and only time they’ll undertake this important project. In this article in RCH's Consolidation Corner blog, readers are provided access to a three-part video series which instructs viewers on the essential aspects of terminating a 401(k) plan.
In Light of Evolving Regulations, What are Plans Sponsors’ Fiduciary Obligations with Regard to Account Consolidation?
In his latest opinion piece, RCH Founder, President & CEO Spencer Williams discusses the fiduciary obligations of auto portability, "the process powering 401(k) account consolidation" and seeks to assuage lingering fiduciary concerns associated with "proposed regulations....issued on January 29, 2024 by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL)." Williams contends that the DOL's regulations do not override fiduciary responsibilities as set forth in the DOL's 2018 Advisory Opinion, or contained in "the regulatory framework for automated portability transactions already in the SECURE Act 2.0."
Why Preserving Small Balances Matters (and How Auto Portability Helps)
The preservation of small-balance 401(k) accounts – particularly those under $7,000 and subject to 401(k) plans’ automatic rollover provisions – represents an important challenge for America’s retirement system. In his 6/26/25 article in RCH's Consolidation Corner blog, Tom Hawkins examines four compelling arguments for the importance of preserving small balances, while demonstrating how auto portability, as delivered by the Portability Services Network (PSN), can help achieve this goal.
Come On In, The Water’s Fine
RCH’s Tom Hawkins, writing in the Consolidation Corner blog, shares his perspective on a recent public position taken by PensionBee, who drew attention to the “participant-unfriendly nature of some safe harbor IRAs” and suggested that “plan sponsors may risk breaching their fiduciary duty to plan participants by utilizing them.” Hawkins generally agrees but notes that the firm “didn’t go far enough” and offers readers with three areas of additional concerns that support this view. The piece concludes by offering plan sponsors with tips and resources to avail themselves of, should they wish to “take a hard look at their automatic rollover programs.”
Beyond Missing: Targeting Unresponsive Participants in Retirement Plans
Writing in the RCH Consolidation Corner blog, Tom Hawkins examines the phenomenon of ‘unresponsive’ participants, which he defines as participants “for whom a plan has correct contact information, but who fail to respond to plan communications.” This sub-set of missing participants presents plan sponsors with unique challenges, because “the challenge is not finding them – it’s engaging them.” Hawkins continues by identifying six major drivers of unresponsive participants, while offering plan sponsors six best practices to minimize them.
On Earth Day, Consider Auto Portability to ‘Recycle’ 401(k) Savings
On April 22nd, we celebrate the 55th annual Earth Day, and
that gives RCH’s Tom Hawkins the opportunity to consider how the concept of
recycling applies to our nation’s 401(k) system, which Hawkins characterizes as
having a “waste problem” that manifests in the form of excessive cashout
leakage and stranded accounts. By contrast, auto portability represents a
sustainable solution that ‘recycles’ small-balance accounts, and its adoption
is rapidly accelerating following the operational status of the Portability
Services Network (PSN).
Three Steps to Getting Off the Uncashed Distribution Check Treadmill
If you’re a defined contribution plan sponsor struggling with uncashed distribution checks, it can feel you’re on a never-ending treadmill. However, there are effective strategies that can greatly reduce the time, cost and risks associated with uncashed checks. Writing in the RCH Consolidation Corner blog, Tom Hawkins outlines three key steps to getting off the treadmill, including 1) a proactive program of locating missing participants, 2) eliminating the automatic cashout of sub-$1,000 balances and 2) utilizing safe harbor IRAs to resolve stale-dated checks.
The Huge Potential of the Saver’s Match for Closing the Retirement Savings Gap
There’s a lot of attention focused on the Saver’s Match, the SECURE Act 2.0-enabled program that – starting in the 2027 tax year – will allow qualified individuals who contribute to an IRA or participate in an employer-sponsored retirement plan to receive a 50% federal matching contribution of up to $1,000. In his latest article in the RCH Consolidation Corner blog, RCH President & CEO Spencer Williams breaks down the highly positive impact that the program will have on retirement security, citing research revealing that “the Saver’s Match has the potential to accomplish more than many expected as far as closing the retirement savings gap among Americans.”
1916 Ayrsley Town Boulevard