Fall is here—the air is crisp, the rain is steady, and the fire is warm. Grab your mug and settle in for a quick catch-up from our corner of the world. Here’s what we’ve got for you today: I Am Saving—Not! with Tracey Foley, a cool $2.5 billion update, What Employees Want, Good Stuff and Other Stuff, a dash of Spicy Stuff … and Pix of the Week!

Grab a hoodie, a mug of hot chocolate, and a camp chair—it’s RSM time, with fresh insights on retirement security, State Auto IRA numbers, California updates, Pew’s Savers’ Match countdown, and more tasty snippets…plus Pix of the Week!

In this wide-ranging conversation, Angela Antonelli, Research Professor and Executive Director of the Georgetown University Center for Retirement Initiatives at the McCourt School of Public Policy., reflects on the rapid expansion of state Auto IRA programs, shares why small businesses remain both the greatest challenge and greatest opportunity, and explains how tools like alternative assets and the Saver’s Match could reshape retirement outcomes for millions. She also looks ahead to what’s next for CRI’s research and the future of retirement innovation.