Can you feel it? A slight change in the air. A crispness that you don’t remember being there last week. It’s true! Autumn is coming in two days and we’re ending the month with plenty-o-updates. So grab a milkshake (we take ours malted) and settle in:

• Research docket and wealth gap surprises with Morningstar’s Aron Szapiro

• State Auto IRA metrics – 36,000 new funded accounts in one month

• A closer look at … Maine, Maryland, New Jersey, New Mexico, and New York

• Can friction benefit retirement savers? Yes! Behavioral scientist Lindsay Juarez explains

• Hot Sauce! Fresh research and some brain expanders

• And, Pix of the week

We are ruthless in our search for truth! … about what’s going on in the world of retirement studies and public policy. Join us as we chat with Morningstar’s Aron Szapiro about fresh research and counter-intuitive findings on topics ranging from the retirement landscape to the racial wealth gap. The goods start here.

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!