The retirement plan industry just hit another milestone, and it didn’t come from Wall Street or the big recordkeepers. State-run automatic IRAs have now passed $2 billion in assets, covering more than a million workers across 12 programs. That’s a staggering figure when you consider how new these programs are and how skeptical some of us were when they first launched.
To put it into perspective, it took six years for auto-IRAs to reach their first billion. The second billion came in just 18 months. That kind of acceleration shows momentum is here to stay.
Why It’s Growing
The growth is being fueled by three factors: market performance, more workers enrolling, and savers putting away higher amounts as programs mature. Once employees see balances accumulate, many increase contributions. That natural compounding, paired with automatic enrollment, explains why the numbers are climbing faster now than in the early years.
State Adoption Expands
Five new states—Delaware, Maine, New Jersey, Vermont, and Nevada—have rolled out programs in just the last two years. Each launch expands coverage to private-sector workers who otherwise wouldn’t have retirement savings access through their employers. Over 250,000 businesses are already registered with state programs, while tens of thousands of others, perhaps motivated by the mandates, have decided to implement their own 401(k)s or other qualified plans instead.
So whether or not a state program is the endgame, the net effect is the same: more workers have access to retirement savings.
Partnerships and Innovation
One of the more interesting developments is how states are beginning to partner to streamline operations. Colorado SecureSavings launched its “Partnership for a Dignified Retirement” to cut administrative costs and avoid each state reinventing the wheel. Maine, Delaware, and Vermont joined that partnership last year and have already built up more than $144 million in assets across 100,000 savers. Nevada and Minnesota are lining up to join next.
Other states are also speeding up their timelines. Rhode Island passed its legislation in 2024 and rolled out a pilot program in 2025. Connecticut’s MyCTSavings program, along with Rhode Island’s RISavers, demonstrates that with the right model, states can get these programs off the ground much faster than we once thought possible.
What’s Next
New York is in the middle of recruiting for its Secure Choice Savings Program and expects to launch later this year. Hawaii’s program is slated for 2026 or 2027, and Washington is planning for 2027. Ten additional states—including heavyweights like Massachusetts and Pennsylvania—are actively considering legislation.
The trend line is obvious: auto-IRAs are spreading, growing, and evolving. What started as a handful of pilot programs has turned into a national movement that’s reshaping how workers save for retirement.
My Take
For years, I’ve said the retirement industry can’t count on voluntary employer adoption alone to close the coverage gap. State-run auto-IRAs are proving the point. Whether you like them or not, they’re bringing millions of uncovered workers into the system. And for every employer that doesn’t want to participate in the state program, many are establishing their own 401(k) instead. That’s a win for coverage.
The lesson here? Sometimes government nudges work. And when it comes to retirement savings, the results speak louder than the critics ever did.
