A Conversation with Amy Chou of Addition Wealth on AI-Powered Financial Guidance, the Human-Technology Hybrid, and Why Auto IRA Participants May Need These Tools Most

States at the Wheel: Momentum is building—but not without friction. Angela Antonelli on what’s working, what’s complicated, and what’s ahead for Auto-IRAs.

In this conversation, Jack Towarnicky shares his perspective on the future of retirement savings, including why he views state auto-IRAs as suboptimal and his “100% Participation” concept—a withholding-based approach designed to reach every wage earner without adding employer burden.

In this conversation, Danielle Gladstone of State Street Investment Management shares insights on participant engagement, behavioral finance, and what it takes to make retirement benefits truly effective.

In this conversation, AARP Senior Strategic Policy Advisor David John reflects on the origins and impact of the Auto IRA—and shares his vision for its next evolution, Auto IRA Plus.

Vermont may be small, but its retirement strategy shows size doesn’t limit ambition. With 650,000 residents and roughly 88,000 workers lacking workplace retirement plans, the state had to build a sustainable auto-IRA program without the scale larger states enjoy.

Michael Kreps helps shape today’s retirement landscape. As Chair of Groom Law Group’s Retirement Services Group, he advises clients on complex retirement and health plan issues with deep technical and policy expertise.

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.

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.

David Teykaerts, Executive Director of CalSavers, sat down with us to share what’s happening in the country’s largest Auto IRA program. We talked program growth, lessons from employer engagement, how CalSavers positions itself in California, and what’s top of mind in 2025. The big takeaway: implementation matters, and scale brings both opportunity and responsibility.

This week we’re sitting down with Karen Andres and KC Boas from the Aspen Institute Financial Security Program to explore what’s ahead for all things inclusive saving and investing. We cover some ground: Trump Accounts, the 2027 Saver’s Match rollout, and fresh thinking about financial diaries. Their take? America’s retirement system has some unfinished business.

In this first leadership interview of our Campfire series, we’re excited to share some very fresh thinking from Tim Flacke, Chief Executive Officer and Cofounder of Commonwealth.  For 30 years he’s focused on solutions that help workers and families in US become more financially secure. Five years ago we talked about what the retirement system would be, if it could be. Today we’re talking about benefits for the future. Will it surprise you to hear the two are linked? 

There’s always something new in the retirement space – which for us lives at the fascinating intersection of tax law, legislation, technology, and innovative thinking. We’re excited to be here today with both the Cofounder and Chief Product Officers and the Chief Operating Officer for Guideline – Jeremy ‘Call me Cabs’ Caballero and Jeff Rosenberger talking about what’s new in fintech – and how they view the emerging Starter 401(k) space.