Some Thanksgiving Thanks
Thanksgiving has been called a “uniquely American” holiday, and while that may be something of an overstatement, it is unquestionably a special holiday, and one on which it seems appropriate to reflect on all for which we should be thankful. So, as I look back at this past year: I’m thankful that so many employers voluntarily choose to offer a workplace retirement plan – and that so many workers, given an opportunity to participate, do. I’m thankful that a growing number of employers have chosen to automatically enroll valued workers into these programs, and that they are increasingly opting to establish a default contribution rate in excess of the “traditional” 3%. I’m thankful that the vast majority of workers defaulted into retirement savings programs tend to remain there – and that there are mechanisms (automatic enrollment, contribution acceleration and qualified default investment alternatives) in place to help them save and invest better than they might otherw...