To catch you up, here’s the issue: Millions of Americans don’t have a retirement plan through their employer. Many don’t save for retirement because they don’t have access to a workplace plan.

Enter state-based retirement plans.

As a fact sheet for AARP points out: “About 55 million private-sector employees in the U.S. have no access to retirement savings plans at work. In response, many states are considering sponsoring plans that would offer simple ways for many workers to improve their retirement security.”

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“State-facilitated retirement savings plans are likely to cause the greatest increase in several decades in the number of workers saving for retirement,” the AARP fact sheets says. “By combining state facilitation with private providers, these plans allow small businesses to offer simple, low-cost retirement savings plans to their employees, enabling more workers to provide for themselves rather than rely on taxpayer-paid services.”

But opponents of the plans argue that the savings vehicles conflict with federal law.

The plans also face “resistance from some Republicans and business groups who argue that states and cities shouldn’t be creating retirement plans,” reported The Washington Post’s Jonnelle Marte.

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Yet it’s better than nothing, consumer advocates say. AARP, which supports the state plans, says people are 15 times more likely to save if they have access to a plan that deducts money straight from their paycheck.

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This post by Bankrate.com’s Jennie L. Phipps is a good primer on the issue: 5 reasons state retirement plans are a good idea, and 2 reasons they’re not

William A. Birdthistle, a professor at Chicago-Kent College of Law and author of “Empire of the Fund: The Way We Save Now,” tweeted about the need to fight for the plans. Birdthistle’s book was a Color of Money Book Club pick last year.

“My own take is that state retirement plans would be a great boon to the millions of Americans who have no 401(k),” Birdthistle wrote to me. “No plan, however, seems like a very bad outcome, and an unprincipled position to take — particularly from the party that celebrates states’ rights so enthusiastically.”

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I agree with Birdthistle. The more people who have access to a way to save, the more money they are likely to have to live on in retirement. And that benefits all of us.

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Retirement rants & raves

Keep your comments coming.

This feature belongs to you. You get to rave or rant about anything related to retirement. Send your comments to colorofmoney@washpost.com. Please include your name, city and state. In the subject line put “Retirement Rants & Raves.”

Alana, who is 40 and lives with her husband and five-year-old son in Kansas City, Mo., wrote about her retirement fears since the election of Donald Trump.

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“As far as retirement, I always assumed Social Security would be broke by the time I retire, so I had been diligently saving into my 403(b). My job at a public community college also provides a pension. However, thanks to ‘President’ Donald Trump, I have NO faith that there will be life in the USA once he gets us into multiple (probably nuclear) wars. I DROPPED my contribution to my 403(b) after he was elected, because it feels dumb to save for a prosperous future that will likely never arrive.”

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Alana, I hope your comment about stopping your retirement contributions is hyperbole because you still need to save for retirement. In fact, since Trump was elected the stock market has done pretty well.

This week Alana, I want you to start contributing again to your retirement plan.

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On Friday, stocks were down, but for the first quarter the market did well.

Keep in mind, long term, we’ll see a number of presidents between now and when you are likely to retire.

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Live chat this week

Join me on Thursday, April 6th at noon (ET) for a live discussion about retirement.

If you can’t join me live, you can post your questions early. Here’s the chat link.

Newsletter comments policy

Please note it is my personal policy to identify readers who respond to questions I ask in my newsletters. I find it encourages thoughtful and civil conversation. I want my newsletters to be a safe place to express your opinion. On sensitive matters or upon request, I’m happy to include a first name and last initial. But I prefer not to post anonymous comments (I do make exceptions when I’m asking questions that might reveal sensitive information or cause conflict.)

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