After 30 years at Principal, researcher Tracey Foley knows how to ask—and parse—the right questions. Today we dig into what automaticity is doing to participation, in helpful and not-so-helpful ways. Hint: maybe more, not less.

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.