Withdrawing funds from a retirement account prior to retirement is generally frowned upon, and with good reason. Withdrawals are a form of “leakage” that not only limit the long-term growth of account funds, but also come with potential tax penalties. State facilitated retirement savings programs use Roth IRAs, which allow for withdrawal of contributions without taxation or penalties - but is this good? Grant Boyken explores.

Since the beginning of 2021, I’ve noticed an uptick in media stories and marketing that highlight alternatives to State-Facilitated Retirement Savings Programs (SFRPs) such as CalSavers, Illinois Secure Choice and OregonSaves. One company in California, for example, describes its Pooled Employer Plan (PEP) 401(k)s as more suitable for highly compensated employees because unlike IRAs, 401(k)s allow for employer contributions and have higher annual employee contribution limits.

Determining the “default” investment for savers who do not make a decision about where to direct their contributions is a weighty decision. The downside of putting the money into investments that carry more risk, and a greater potential for loss, is obvious. But parking the contributions in a “safe” investment with lower risk means participants’ accounts may not grow sufficiently to provide significant income security in retirement. Increasingly, target-date funds (TDFs) have become a popular solution.