State of the States 2026:
An Update on State and Private Sector Progress to
Close the Access Gap
March 17, 2026
Past Webinars
Past Webinars
State of the States 2026:
As state-facilitated retirement savings programs are poised to mark their latest major milestone in the next few months — approaching $3 billion in assets— they are showing their potential to help millions of Americans save for retirement and to move the needle to expand access for the first time in decades.
America has faced a persistent retirement access gap. According to 2025 research from Georgetown University’s Center for Retirement Initiatives (CRI), a staggering 47% of U.S. full and part-time private sector workers — 59 million Americans — lack access to employer-sponsored retirement plans. An additional 23.4 million gig economy workers also lack access to workplace retirement options. The situation is made more challenging because small businesses are the least likely to offer their workers retirement savings options. (View Report and State-by-State Interactive Map).
But something important and encouraging is happening in states that have implemented auto-IRA programs: access is expanding both directly through program participation and indirectly through an increase in new private sector retirement plan adoption.
Register to join us on March 17, 2026, at 1:00 p.m. ET for an update on the progress of state-facilitated retirement programs and private providers to close the retirement savings coverage gap, and the potential for states to support broader savings and wealth-building initiatives.
Moderator:
- Angela Antonelli, Research Professor and Executive Director, Center for Retirement Initiatives, Georgetown University’s McCourt School of Public Policy
Panelists:
- Steve Abbott, Head of Public Policy and Government Affairs, Gusto
- Steven Johnson, State Treasurer, Kansas
- Mary Morris, CEO, Commonwealth Savers
- William (Hunter) Railey, Executive Director, Colorado SecureSavings Program and the Partnership for a Dignified Retirement
Can PEPs Transform the Retirement Landscape?
A Look at Current Progress and Future Direction
September 24, 2025
Pooled Employer Plans (PEPs) had accumulated $9.41 billion in assets and surpassed 1 million participants as of December 2023, according to publicly available filings in the U.S. Department of Labor’s EFAST 5500 Database. Approximately 39,000 employers had adopted a PEP by the end of 2023.
On July 29, 2025. the U.S. Department of Labor published a Request for Information (RFI) that solicits information about prevailing PEP market practices, and the need for additional regulatory guidance. The idea behind PEPs sounds simple: Employers pool their resources to leverage collective buying power, reduce costs, and improve efficiency. However, in practice, PEPs vary widely, depending on the provider’s focus. Understanding these variations is crucial — choosing a PEP that aligns with a company’s needs and goals requires careful consideration of both the company’s size and its workforce dynamics. Join us for a discussion about the current PEP market landscape, lessons learned, and future policy considerations.
Moderator:
- Angela Antonelli, Research Professor and Executive Director, Center for Retirement Initiatives
Panelists:
- Scott Carroll, Senior Consultant, Gallagher
- Kevin Gaston, Head of Strategic Retirement Consulting, Vestwell
- Michael Kreps, Principal, Groom Law Group
- David Lipscomb, Product Manager, Pooled Plans, Ascensus
- Michael Salerno, Founder and CEO, NPPG
Why Do Small Businesses Rarely Claim Tax Credits
for Offering Retirement Plans?
September 10, 2025
In recent decades, U.S. policymakers have introduced various incentives to expand retirement plan coverage among small businesses, including the Section 45E tax credit that subsidizes the costs of starting and administering employer-sponsored retirement plans like 401(k)s. Originally enacted in the early 2000s and substantially expanded through the SECURE Acts of 2019 and 2022, this credit aims to lower cost barriers for smaller firms. However, despite these expansions, fewer than 6% of eligible firms claim the credit. This latest CRI working paper, cross-published by NBER, uses detailed data from the IRS and other sources to examine how firms respond to these tax incentives, finding that credit take-up depends heavily on firm owner characteristics and their tax preparers. As policymakers continue to consider such tax incentives, they need to better understand how these incentives are perceived and whether they are used by their intended beneficiaries.
Moderator:
- Angela Antonelli, Research Professor and Executive Director, Center for Retirement Initiatives
Panelists:
- Adam Bloomfield, Non-Resident Scholar, Georgetown University Center for Retirement Initiatives
- Stephanie Liu Cossart, Principal Product Manager, Gusto
- Kendra Isaacson, Principal, Mindset
- Sita Slavov, Professor, Schar School of Policy and Government, George Mason University
Addressing the Myths and Considering the Benefits
of Private Assets to Retirement Income
September 3, 2025
Two new CRI reports examine the role of private assets in defined contribution retirement plans. The first report addresses three common myths about private assets in defined contribution (DC) retirement plans — limited liquidity, lack of excess returns, and high fees — that hinder their broader adoption by DC retirement plans. The second report is a follow-up to previous CRI research, and shows how relatively modest exposures to real assets, private credit, and private equity can improve retirement income outcomes by 7% to 8% for workers with disrupted savings patterns, such as caregivers, lower-income workers, and job hoppers. This research suggests policymakers should support the ability of plan sponsors to consider all tools, including private market allocations, to improve retirement income outcomes for millions of American workers.
Moderator:
- Angela Antonelli, Research Professor and Executive Director, Center for Retirement Initiatives
Panelists:
- Deb Boyden, Head of U.S. Defined Contribution, Schroders
- Will Hansen, Chief Government Affairs Officers, American Retirement Association
- David O’Meara, Head of DC Investment Strategy, WTW
- Kevin Walsh, Principal, Groom Law Group
