2026: A 20/20 moment for retirement

Quote: “Retirement security is one of those rare areas where everybody can actually come together and agree on doing something really powerful.”

2026: A 20/20 moment
for retirement

Reflecting on 20 years of the Pension Protection Act.
Looking ahead to the next 20.

Success has a way of changing the question

Twenty years ago, the Pension Protection Act of 2006 (PPA) changed the trajectory of workplace retirement. Automatic enrollment, professionally managed investing, and thoughtful plan design fundamentally reshaped how millions of people save for the future.
 

Today, the industry faces a different challenge

Getting people into workplace retirement plans was never the finish line. It was the starting point. People are living longer. Careers are less linear. Financial priorities have multiplied. AI is changing how guidance is delivered. And millions of workers still lack access to the workplace retirement system altogether.
 

So where should the retirement industry focus next?

To answer that question, Empower interviewed five of the industry's most respected voices across retirement policy, practice, research, and innovation. While each brought a different perspective, a remarkable consensus emerged. Five themes are poised to shape the next 20 years of retirement innovation:
 

1. Rethink traditional plan design
by building on automatic enrollment with stronger defaults, automatic 
escalation, and reenrollment strategies that improve long-term outcomes.

 

2. Remove barriers to innovation
by giving plan sponsors the confidence to adopt the next generation 
of retirement solutions.

 

3. Remove barriers to innovation
by giving plan sponsors the confidence to adopt the next generation 
of retirement solutions.

 

4. Remove barriers to innovation
by giving plan sponsors the confidence to adopt the next generation 
of retirement solutions.

 

5. Connect retirement to financial lives
by helping people navigate retirement alongside healthcare, debt, 
emergency savings, education, caregiving, and other financial priorities.

The result is not a retrospective on the Pension Protection Act. It's a forward-looking conversation about what the last 20 years made possible and what the retirement industry should build next.

 

Read the full paper to explore where workplace retirement goes from here

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Read insights from five leading voices on the future of workplace retirement. View the full study

The research, views, and opinions contained in these materials are intended to be educational; may not be suitable for all investors; and are not tax, legal, accounting, or investment advice.
Private investments involve additional risks, including limited liquidity and valuation considerations, and may not be appropriate for all investors.

Nevin Adams, Brian Graff (American Retirement Association), Barbara Marder (EBRI), Kent Mason (Davis & Harman, LLP), and Marcia Wagner (The Wagner Law Group) are not affiliated with Empower and its affiliates. The research, views, and opinions contained in these materials and expressed are those of the speaker and not, necessarily, of Empower. All materials and information provided in this paper are intended to be for informational purposes only. No endorsement, sponsorship, or affiliation is implied.

Empower refers to the products and services offered by Empower Annuity Insurance Company of America and its subsidiaries. This material is for informational purposes only and is not intended to provide investment, legal, or tax recommendations or advice.

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