This latest CRI report analyzes FINRA’s National Financial Capability (NFCS) from 2012-2024 and finds that the most common vulnerability among retirement savers is a lack of emergency savings, followed by burdensome debt, spending that exceeds income, and limited financial literacy. After showing improvement through 2021, these conditions deteriorated by 2024. States with the highest numbers of retirement savers reporting two or more vulnerabilities include Arkansas, Kansas, Mississippi, West Virginia, and Wyoming.

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Download National and State-Level Estimates

Highlights

View 2026 State Program & Legislative Activity Map

View State Program Performance Data – $2.85 Billion in Total Assets (with $2.8 Billion in the Auto-IRA Programs) as of January 31, 2026

59+ Million Full and Part-Workers Lack Access to Retirement Savings. Who Lacks Access in Your State?

Blog Post: How Retirement-Ready is Your State?

Podcast – From Birth to Wealth: Understanding Trump Accounts

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CRI State Resources
Program Data | SBA Profiles | Access Fact Sheets | Employer Timelines | FAQs | Program Snapshots | Resource Center

2026 State Program & Legislative Activity Map

Click on the map to view program information quick links (red shaded states)
Login to view detailed 2026 state legislative activity updates (green states)

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Source: Georgetown University's Center for Retirement Initiatives
Auto-IRA programs
Other programs
☆ denotes program active
Pending legislative proposals
Recent state efforts
No recent state efforts

State Program Action Updates

Upcoming board meetings:

  • DE: 3/3; MA: 3/10; NJ: 3/13; HI: 3/16; WA: 3/17;
    CT: 3/20; MD: 3/23; NV: 4/15; IL: 5/13; CO: 5/19;
    ME:     5/20; OR: 5/28; CA: 5/21

Recent program action:

  • On February 18, 2026, CalSavers released an RFP for a program consultant. Bids are due March 20, 2026.
  • On February 18, 2026, MERIT selected CAPTRUST as its new investment consultant (the incumbent was Meketa).
  • On February 10, 2026, the Hawaii Retirement Savings Board voted to enter Connecticut’s Multistate Alliance for Retirement Security.
  • On February 10, 2026, WA Saves selected Meketa as its program investment consultant.
  • On January 20, 2026, outgoing Governor Murphy signed into law, A5358, amending the RetireReadyNJ program to lower the threshold for covered employers from 25 to 10 employees, change the amount of the cap on administrative fees, and provide authority for multistate partnerships.
  • As of January 1, 2026, 17 of the 20 state programs (15 auto-IRA – CA, CO, CT, DE, IL, MD, ME, MN, NJ, NV, NY, OR, RI, VA, VT) and 2 others – MA (MEP) and WA (Marketplace) are open to all eligible employers and workers.
  • As of January 31, 2026, state auto-IRA programs report $2.8 of the $2.85+ billion in assets administered across all state programs and more than 1.17+ million funded accounts.

View All State Updates →

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Federal Proposals

119th Congress, 2nd session

119th Congress, 1st session

→ See more from the 119th Congress, 2nd Session and previous sessions

International Programs

Social Security Administration’s International Updates

OECD Pensions Outlook 2024

Mercer CFA Institute Global Pension Index 2025

OECD Pensions at a Glance 2025

→ View international reports and country updates (login may be required)

CRI in the News

RetirePath Program Director Peter S. Thompson Received National “Best of the State” Award (Yahoo Finance, February 23, 2026)

Applying fiduciary principles to private market allocations in DC plans (Pensions & Investments, February 16, 2026)

Where businesses must offer employees a retirement plan (CNN, February 16, 2026)

Twin Cities Retirement Shock: Most Workers Barely Have a Grand Saved (Hoodline, February 10, 2026)

If You’re Behind on Retirement Savings, Start With These 5 Steps (Yahoo Finance, February 5, 2026)

They had enough money to retire. Then the cost of living went up (USA Today, February 5, 2026)

How MEP, PEP Growth Influences Retirement Industry Roles (PlanSponsor, February 2, 2026)

Mississippi Reintroduces State-Run Retirement Program Bill (PlanSponsor, January 28, 2026)

→ See more coverage of CRI or submit a media inquiry.

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