Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, unveiled new legislation this week that would help tackle the retirement crisis in America and shore up the private pension system. Industry reaction to the bill was mixed; some cheered while others thought it too complex.

Called the Universal, Secure and Adaptable (USA) Retirement Funds Act of 2014, the legislation, if passed, would give the 75 million individuals in the country who don't have access to a retirement plan at work a way to earn a safe, portable and secure pension benefit for life.

His legislation would create a new type of privately run retirement plan that combines the advantages of traditional pensions, including lifetime income benefits and pooled, professional management, with the portability and ease for employers of a 401(k).

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