State, national legislation provide opportunities for smaller plan sponsors

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The Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act of 2019 aimed to expand access to retirement saving by introducing Pooled Employer Plans (PEPs). One of the main goals of PEPs is to make it easier for small employers to offer retirement plans by allowing multiple unrelated employers to participate in the same retirement plan. Since then, legislators have continued their efforts to close the retirement plan coverage gap, especially among smaller employers. The Securing a Strong Retirement Act of 2022, also known as “SECURE 2.0,” passed in the House earlier this year with similar proposals currently progressing through the Senate. It seeks to expand coverage by encouraging employers to adopt automatic enrollment and escalation features, by expanding the range of cost-effective plan types available to small employers and by offering generous incentives to employers to start a new retirement plan.

House lays groundwork for auto-enrollment, expanded aid for small businesses