When congress passed this law, it shifted
the responsibility of retirement savings from the employer to the employee, giving individuals more control over their savings.
While «opting in» requires making a choice that will put more
of the
responsibility for long - term
savings on the members» shoulders, «it starts to cause them to learn how to contribute to their future, their own
retirement,» said John Bird, senior vice president
of military affairs at USAA, a financial services firm that works with about 12 million current and former members
of the U.S. military and their families.