Merkley visita una pequeña empresa de Eugene para destacar la nueva legislación sobre seguridad de la jubilación

Eugene, Oregón. — Today, Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley was in Eugene to visit Falling Sky Pour House Delicatessen to discuss his major new national retirement security legislation, the American Savings Act. The American Savings Act would give every worker without access to a retirement savings plan through their employer the ability to save for retirement through their own, personal retirement savings account modeled on the same high-quality retirement savings plan already used by federal workers and members of Congress.

Senator Merkley’s new legislation builds off of successful efforts in Oregon to create an Oregon retirement savings plan for workers who not have access to a retirement savings plan through their employer. As our economy has changed and workers switch jobs more frequently over the course of their careers, fewer and fewer workers now have access to a traditional company-sponsored pension. Retirement savings must make up the difference, but 68 million Americans currently do not have access to a retirement savings plan through their employer, and these trends will only intensify with the rise of the sharing economy. 

La Ley de Ahorros Estadounidenses daría a cualquier trabajador que actualmente no esté cubierto por un plan de ahorros para la jubilación patrocinado por el empleador, acceso a un nuevo tipo de cuenta de ahorros para la jubilación que sería universal, portátil, simple y personal: la Cuenta de Ahorros Estadounidenses. 

“It shouldn’t matter whether you work part-time or full-time, as an employee or as a contractor, or for a huge corporation or a tiny business: every American worker deserves access to a financially secure retirement,” said Merkley. “And small businesses like Eugene’s Falling Sky Brewing understand the importance that retirement savings have on the lives of their employees and the health of their businesses. Because happy and secure employees, mean a stronger business.”  

Because employers using ASAs would simply need to send employees’ ASA savings to the federal government alongside the employee tax withholdings that they already process, the American Savings Act offers a high-quality option for small businesses without added paperwork or hassle. 

“Las empresas miembros de Main Street Alliance aplauden el liderazgo del Senador Merkley en este tema importante”, dijo Amanda Ballantyne, directora nacional de Main Street Alliance. “Esperamos trabajar juntos para garantizar que el Sueño Americano de jubilarse cómodamente después de toda una vida de trabajo esté al alcance de los propietarios de pequeñas empresas y sus empleados”. 

La legislación también cuenta con el apoyo de AARP y UNITE HERE.

AARP Oregon State Director Jerry Cohen said, “AARP applauds Senator Merkley’s introduction of the American Savings Act, because this legislation recognizes the serious gap in retirement readiness facing this nation, as well as the many important efforts underway in many states, including Oregon, to ensure tens of millions of workers who have no access to a workplace retirement savings plan can begin to save for their retirement.”

Detalles de la Ley de Ahorros Estadounidenses

The American Savings Act would establish a new universal savings account plan?—?the American Savings Account?—?giving all working Americans who don’t have an employer-sponsored plan access to the same types of retirement savings investments that are already available to federal employees.

¿Cómo funcionaría?

Si su empleador aún no ofrece un plan de jubilación, se le otorgará automáticamente su propia cuenta de ahorro estadounidense (ASA). Inicialmente, su empleador pondrá 3% de sus ganancias en su cuenta con cada cheque de pago, pero puede optar por ajustar su contribución a tan solo 2% de sus ingresos, o hasta $18,000 por año, o optar por no participar por completo. 

ASAs will have the same investment options as federal employees get through the TSP plan, with similar rock-bottom costs. ASAs are simple for employers, who simply need to send employees’ ASA savings to the federal government alongside employee tax withholdings. Workers will control their own accounts directly through a website.

Las contribuciones a una ASA serían deducibles de impuestos, y los participantes podrían transferir cualquier IRA anterior a su ASA o transferir los fondos de su ASA a un plan 401(k) o 403(b) patrocinado por el empleador. Una junta directiva independiente administrará la inversión de los fondos.

¿Cuáles son los beneficios de una cuenta de ahorro estadounidense?

1. Universal: It doesn’t matter whether you work part-time or full-time, how many employers you have, whether you work as a contractor, whether you work for a tiny company or a huge corporation: everyone can get a retirement account.
2. Portable: You have one ASA for life. It will follow you when you change jobs or move with no extra steps or paperwork.
3. Simple: Small businesses can offer retirement accounts without hassle or added cost.
4. Personal: You get to decide how much to put in the accounts and choose among a number of straightforward investment options, to make sure your ASA is right for you.

Para obtener más información sobre la Ley de Ahorros Estadounidenses, visite merkley.senate.gov/retirement.