This week we chat with Ida Rademacher, Vice President and Director of Aspen’s Financial Security Program, and Karen Andres, Director of Policy and Market Solutions for the Program. We’re hitting four hot topics: the power of automatic enrollment. What happens when we re-imagine retirement? Innovation among our financial services providers. And maybe most importantly, the call for a national strategy on financial inclusion.

What’s special about Maryland$aves? Lots of things! We had a chance to catch up with program board chair the Honorable Josh Gotbaum and executive director Glenn Simmons as the program is going live - about four innovations and the realities of rolling out a new statewide program. Read on for the inside scoop.

Are there ways to help our families weather financial hardships? Yes, there are! Linking emergency savings and retirement savings is one of several ways to meet people’s emergency savings needs. Paulina Diaz share more about current experimentation and early success, including through the Nest Jars program in the UK.