As a retirement program manager, one of your biggest hurdles is getting people to open and fund an account. Behavioral science and a careful look at human decision making can help overcome this first step. Using defaults can increase the proportion of employees enrolled in a program. Leveraging precommitments can help people overcome procrastination and keep contributions in line with inflation. These changes can shift participation by impressive amounts!

We’re enjoying early fall – that season where there’s a nip in the morning air but you’re sure you should be wearing shorts with your neighbors in the afternoon. That is, unless you’re back in the office! Wherever you are, we’ve got cool stuff for you. Settle in for the first-of-fall updates:

• CalSavers leaps forward with Katie Selenski

• We've crossed the $500 million mark! -- state metrics

• Updates from California, Colorado & New Mexico, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Oregon, Vermont, and Delaware

• Who present-bias, me? Duke’s Perry Wright on precommitment.

• Hot Sauce! Fresh research and some brain expanders

• Pix of the week, from balancing on the SUP to ballparking together ...

Since 2017, CalSavers’ Katie Selenski has been in charge of what has quickly become – and is likely to remain -- the nation’s largest Auto IRA program. While the successes are wonderful, the challenges are also very real. What’s it like to launch a program that covers nearly 8 million workers?