Washington, Wall Street, and the Workplace: What’s Next for Retirement?

Industry leaders and policymakers agree: closing the savings gap requires coordinated action across public and private sectors. The savings industry is changing quickly, and advisors who understand where policy, capital, and employer needs are converging will be positioned to lead the next decade of growth.

To Vestwell is to translate legislative momentum into practical guidance, to help clients navigate shifting expectations, and to turn policy into long-term opportunity. Whether you're preparing clients for the next wave of mandates, expanding your reach in small-plan markets, or strengthening your value proposition with holistic benefits, the insights from Vestwell's VEST 2025 offer a roadmap for staying ahead.

Voices From VEST

This fall, Vestwell brought together leaders from across the industry at VEST, our inaugural savings summit, to examine what lies ahead for the industry.

The fireside chat, “Washington, Wall Street, and the Workplace—What’s Next for Retirement?” featuring Brian Graff, CEO of the American Retirement Association, offered an insider view of where the industry is heading and what advisors need to do now to capture the moment.

Here’s the bottom line: retirement remains one of the few bipartisan lanes in Washington, and the industry’s stakeholders are committed to expanding access to financial wellness. That translates to greater opportunities and more demand for advisors over the next few years.

Below, we’ll distill key themes from the session across Washington, Wall Street, and the workplace, and highlight why they matter for advisors.

What’s Next in Washington

SECURE 3.0

Could there be a SECURE Act 3.0 on the horizon? Though it’s not official, the next phase of updates may focus on practical fixes to SECURE 1.0 and 2.0. This could include a range of technical corrections that are already in motion. Things like allowing the Saver’s Match to flow into state-based Roth IRAs, smoothing out rollover rules, and making it easier to implement auto-enrollment in a way that works for existing plans.

What this means for advisors: Keep an eye on policy movement so you’re ready to act quickly when changes become official. Once updates go live, clients will look to you to make sense of new rules, especially around tax credits, matches, and auto-enrollment. The faster you can translate these shifts into clear guidance, the more value you’ll be able to deliver later on.

New Early-Life Savings Vehicles

Trump Accounts, proposed in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, build on decades of early-life savings models. Most notably, states and cities have run Child Savings Accounts (CSAs) for years. What’s new with Trump Accounts is the potential to scale these ideas nationally. If Trump Accounts ultimately reach the market, they could show up in the workplace much like 529s or ABLE accounts, with payroll deductions making it easier for families to save from birth.

What this means for advisors: Connect the dots across the various savings vehicles on the market. Early-life accounts don’t replace 529s, IRAs, ABLE accounts, or workplace plans. When used in tandem, they can complement one another and unlock substantial tax advantages. Learn the ins and outs of what's available, and think about creating a roadmap for where and when each account fits in an individual’s financial journey. Advisors who can explain how these tools work together and communicate the timely benefits of each will stand out

Universal Coverage

With 16 state programs now live and more than $2.5 billion saved through auto-IRA mandates, the blueprint for expanding retirement access is already proving effective. That momentum is now shaping conversations in Washington. Policymakers are exploring a form of universal coverage that makes sure every worker, regardless of employer size, industry, or employment classification, has access to a retirement savings vehicle.

Importantly, this isn’t about replacing the existing system. Instead, leaders are looking at how to build on what’s working: employer plans, state programs, and federal tax credits, layered together in a coordinated, national approach.

What this means for advisors: With more states launching programs and chatter around a national program, now is a great time to re-engage with your employer clients who are still on the fence about offering a workplace savings plan. You can use this moment to explain what may be coming and help them choose a plan on their terms rather than waiting for a mandate.

What’s Next On Wall Street

Retirement and Wealth Convergence

As coverage expands through state mandates, tax credits, and increasing employee expectations, more small businesses are adopting plans for the first time. That means millions of new employees will be entering the retirement system, many of whom have never worked with a financial advisor before.

Workplace retirement plans are becoming the entry point for building long-term client relationships. In fact, among savers who plan to work with an advisor, 19% intend to find an advisor through their employer.

What this means for advisors: Advisors can view workplace plans as a long-term client pipeline and build processes that convert employee engagement into deeper relationships. Consider strategies that keep you meaningfully connected throughout the employees' saving journey. This could include welcome emails, webinars, office-hour Q&As, or automated check-ins. These touchpoints can turn plan participants into long-term planning clients.

AI as an Advice Amplifier

AI isn’t going away. In fact, private AI investment reached $252.3 billion last year alone, signaling just how quickly these tools are reshaping financial services. Within retirement planning, AI is emerging as a way to scale wellness coaching and personalized nudges that help savers understand their financial picture and take action with more confidence. This presents an opportunity to deliver personalized guidance at scale while still incorporating the human element of advisory services.

What this means for advisors: Partner with providers who offer AI-powered tools. For savers and employers, AI can scale guidance and deliver the feel of human support, without adding extra work for you. And on the advisor side, platforms with built-in AI capabilities can make the advisor experience more powerful.

What’s Next In the Workplace

Reaching Independent Contractors at Work

A growing share of the workforce earns income as independent contractors across entertainment, hospitality, fashion, restaurants, and more. As stated by Brian Graff at VEST, an estimated 20M+ independent contractors lack payroll-deducted retirement savings. Policymakers are exploring how to layer “payroll-like” savings rails onto platforms that pay contractors, using the same core technology that already powers employer plans.

What this means for advisors: Independent contractors represent an underserved group of individuals. While new solutions are in the works, if you have an independent contractor, consider different options for them, like solo 401(k)s or state retirement programs, while keeping an eye on what’s next.

A Broader Definition of Financial Security

Programs like ABLE accounts, emergency savings, and student loan benefits are increasingly part of the conversation when employers think about benefits that support real-life financial stressors.

What this means for advisors: Lead holistic benefits conversations. Ask employers how they can better support their employees and connect solutions like ABLE, ESAs, and student loan benefits to retirement savings. Plus, show how comprehensive benefits can improve retention, recruitment, employee engagement, workplace culture, and more.

Leading the Next Era of Savings

The future of retirement isn’t being decided in one place. It’s being shaped in Washington, on Wall Street, and in the workplace. Advisors sit in the center of all three. Those who translate policy into action, technology into experience, and benefits into outcomes will be the ones who thrive in this next era.

Now is the time to work with a modern workplace savings platform that’s built for this moment—connecting every part of the savings ecosystem in a way that helps you grow your business.