At the state level, AARP has supported “work and save” programs, such as state-facilitated automatic IRAs, that fill the gap left by employers who don’t offer a retirement vehicle. Nearly 1.2 million employees nationwide had enrolled in these “work and save” programs as of January 2026, with legislation, supported by AARP, enacted in 21 states .​

Add Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. An employee works the cash register at a soda fountain in Winterset, Iowa. A growing number of states are mandating that small employers participate in new retirement programs or offer ...

Programs letting workers near retirement-age cut back on their hours while keeping some pay and benefits are becoming increasingly popular. 36% of human resource executives say they plan to offer a phased-retirement program this year, according to a new ...

“This research shows the fragility of both the nation’s retirement infrastructure and retirement preparedness for the typical U.S. household.”

The 2026 Retirement Confidence Survey, conducted jointly with Greenwald Research, came out last week and it shows a significant drop in confidence about retirement among both workers and retirees. This decline coincides with concerns over inflation and potential changes to both Social Security and Medicare.