Analysis

The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 did not continue much retirement-related relief into the new year.

Across the federal bureaucracy, there is an expectation that Biden's regulatory and enforcement agencies will take a more broadly focused consumer protection lane.

Reasons given range from needing more retirement savings to lack of traditional retirement activities due to pandemic.

While the short-term consequences to retirement savers are likely to be minimal, long-term impacts could surface.

"Anything that negatively affects workforce participation — and productivity of workers — has a huge effect on our global competitiveness," said Robert Kaplan, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas.

President Biden now faces major challenges in accomplishing his health care agenda; among the biggest will be bridging partisan divides.