secure-2.0
(2)
Candidly
Candidly is an AI-native financial wellness platform that helps employers, financial institutions, recordkeepers and banks deliver personalized guidance on student debt, savings and retirement. Formerly FutureFuel.io, the company optimizes income-driven repayment, powers student-loan-to-401(k) retirement matches under SECURE 2.0, and now runs a multi-agent AI system - the Candidly Intelligence Center, fronted by its conversational assistant Cait - that spans debt payoff, budgeting, college planning and tax-advantaged accounts. Founded in 2016 by Laurel Taylor, Candidly reports it can reach roughly 1 in 2 U.S. workers through its distribution partners.
Penelope
Penelope is a New York fintech that makes 401(k) retirement plans practical for the businesses that usually get ignored - the corner shop, the two-person startup, the solopreneur. Founded in 2021 by former Wall Street executive Jean Kim Smart and named after her daughter, the company started as a low-cost, self-service platform offering Pooled Employer Plans, traditional 401(k)s and Solo 401(k)s, and has since built a cloud-native, API-first, SECURE 2.0-ready recordkeeping platform that independent recordkeepers and benefit providers can run under their own brand. The pitch is unglamorous but real: automate the paperwork, cut the cost, and let roughly 60 million Americans who work for small employers start saving.