Here are four key insights from the latest Aspen report:

No. 1: Establish universal access to workplace retirement plans

“Eight state-facilitated auto-IRA programs are now up and running,” says the report. Since 2012, every state except Alabama has either enacted or introduced legislation that would establish state-facilitated retirement savings programs. 

Requiring most employers without retirement plans to automatically enroll workers in a state program has produced results: More than 800,000 workers in the eight active states have already amassed $1.5 billion in Roth IRAs, according to the report.

Early evidence shows that state programs may also be spurring local employers to open their own retirement plans. In 2025, under SECURE 2.0, employers instituting new 401(k)s and 403(b)s will be required to automatically enroll workers. However, “even if access continues to improve, retirement security will hinge on helping workers find funds to save,” according to the report.

No. 2: Tackle “The $1,000 problem”

Along with the greater access afforded by state auto-IRAs and expanded auto enrollment in private retirement plans comes what the Forum dubbed “The $1,000 Problem”—the average amount of low-balance retirement accounts that are often "less economical to administer and more prone to getting lost," says the report.

State plans typically enroll first-time savers with modest incomes, so average balances are low, especially at first. In most states the total is around $1,000. “So solving ‘The $1,000 problem’ in the retirement arena could potentially have wider applications throughout the world of financial services,” according to the report. One solution: More multi-state consortiums. “A new multi-state consortium of state-facilitated auto-IRA programs, led by Colorado, may one day serve as an example of how to minimize delivery costs by reaching scale faster,” says the report.

Another way to solve the $1,000 problem? Let employers make contributions to workers’ IRAs, something not currently permitted.

No. 3: The new Saver’s Match holds tremendous potential

The new Saver's Match program, which launches in 2027, allows low-income employees to receive a 50% federal matching contribution of up to $1,000, in addition to any employer match. “The biggest challenge of all, though, may be how to communicate the benefits, eligibility rules, and logistics of the match, both to low-income workers and their employers,” according to the report. The information must be easy to understand, and “the Treasury Department needs to promote the program,” according to the report.

No. 4: Create a mix of products and policies to help retirees with lifetime income

“Longevity is perhaps the biggest risk retirees face, and some fail to grasp the ramifications of the rise in life expectancies,” according to the report. There’s no shortage of financial products to help retirees manage their income—most notably, annuities—but participants at the Forum brought up the difficulty in convincing Americans to employ those tools.

Related: SECURE 3.0? What’s on the horizon for retirement policy as President Trump takes office, again

“Social Security is one of the best annuities available, especially if retirees can wait until full retirement age to claim it—or, better still, until age 70, when the maximum benefit becomes available,” recommends the report. However, “targeted education and advice is sorely needed,” according to the report. Why? “Nearly one in three workers claim Social Security retirement benefits at age 62, the earliest possible In the accumulation phase." Educating near-retirees "can help them lock in a higher guaranteed income for life.”

Another solution? “Bridge products or accounts that can produce income for a short time between retirement and optimal Social Security claiming,” recommends the Institute.