Delaware

Delaware EARNS officially opens for enrollment

Published

2 years ago

July 8, 2024

Delaware EARNS officially opens for enrollment

Delaware EARNS, the state retirement fund program, is projected to have 3,900 employers and almost 39,000 employees enrolled. | PHOTO COURTESY OF ADOBE STOCK

WILMINGTON — Delaware EARNS, the state-sponsored retirement plan, officially opened for enrollment on July 1 with hopes of bridging the state’s retirement savings gap.

Two years after legislation passed to establish the Delaware Expanding Access for Retirement and Necessary Saving program, or DE EARNS, employers with five or more employees —regardless of full-time or part-time status — now have to sign up and provide a retirement plan option.

Administered by New York based Vestwell State Savings, Delaware EARNS is structured as an automatic payroll deduction which is put into an Roth individual retirement account. Based on federal rules, there are annual contribution limits for how much an employee can put into an IRA. Those under 50 years of age can save up to $7,000 in their IRA while those over the age of 50 can save up to $8,000. Lower limits may be applied depending on various tax situations.

The program is funded by employees and facilitated by employers; employers can opt out if they offer their own plan like a 401(K). The deadline for employers to opt out or enroll is Oct. 15.

For the past year, the Delaware State Treasurer’s Office has been on an information campaign throughout the state and spent time meeting with several local chambers of commerce on how the program works. Colleen Davis, the state treasurer, once estimated that there are between 150,000 to 200,000 Delawareans who have not been offered a retirement plan through their employer.

Most of those employees were considered in the low and low-to-moderate income bracket. The National Compensation and Benefits Survey also found that 54% of Delaware employers do not offer retirement plans.

“The reason why the treasurer’s office got involved in this issue is that we’re facing a retirement savings crisis,” Delaware EARNS Program Director Ted Griffith said. “We have many workers that aren’t saving anything, and it’s not a problem unique to Delaware. But we can help do something about it by giving them access to start that fund through work. There’s research that shows that if someone does have a retirement plan that can contribute to payroll, they’re 15 times more likely to start one.”

Griffith also said it’s a societal issue as well as a workplace issue. With Delaware’s senior population continuing to rise, the Pew Charitable Trust and Econsult Solutions Inc. found that the state was on track to spend an additional $55 million per year over the next 20 years on programs like Medicaid due to insufficient savings.

“Not only can we help create a pathway to help people be more self-sufficient and financially empowered, we’re reducing the burden on the state over time,” he said.

Delaware is one of a few that has mandated retirement plans at various stages, either active or in the process of development. Colorado was among the first, and surrounding states like Virginia and New Jersey have also opened enrollment for similar plans, RetirePath Virginia and RetireReady NJ, respectively.

The First State has also joined a consortium of states, led by Colorado, to maximize Delaware EARNS’ potential to pool resources when it comes time to set up these programs to work. That can translate to savings for the account holders.

While it’s still early, Delaware EARNS has about 12 employers already enrolled as part of a pilot program. Based on projections done by the Pew Charitable Trust, it’s anticipated that 3,900 employers and almost 39,000 employees will be enrolled in the program.

“We’re excited for the future, because not only will this help the savings gap, it’ll help with the wealth gap,” Griffith said. “It’s going to give Delawareans who may not have a chance to invest a way to do that.”

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Delaware

Delaware County school employee accused of sex assault of minor in Texas

Published

8 hours ago

February 27, 2026

Press Room

Delaware County school employee accused of sex assault of minor in Texas

RADNOR, Pa. – Authorities say a Delaware County school employee is accused of traveling to Texas to sexually assault a minor he met online.

What we know:

Michael Robinson, 43, was taken into custody near Radnor Middle School where investigators say he worked as a paraprofessional.

Investigators believe Robinson traveled to Tyler, Texas in the summer of 2024 to meet a minor he had connected with online.

Robinson, according to U.S. Marshals, allegedly sexually assaulted the teen over the course of a weekend.

Delaware County school employee accused of sex assault of minor in Texas

Prosecutors in Smith County, Texas charged Robinson in December with Aggravated Sexual Assault of a Child Under 15-years-old.

Robinson is being held at a Delaware County jail where he is awaiting extradition to Texas.

What they’re saying:

U.S. Marshals in Pennsylvania said Robinson’s arrest shows that “sexual predators will always be pursued relentlessly.”

The Radnor Township School District said Robinson has been placed on leave and will not have contact with students.

“Parents of the limited number of children to whom the employee was assigned were contacted by the administration immediately.”

The district said it is cooperating with law enforcement and has “no information indicating misconduct involving district students.”

Crime & Public SafetyDelaware CountyNews

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Delaware

Rehoboth cancels 2026 Polar Bear Plunge after major snowstorm

Published

20 hours ago

February 26, 2026

Press Room

Rehoboth cancels 2026 Polar Bear Plunge after major snowstorm

Rehoboth Beach has canceled the upcoming 2026 Lewes Polar Bear Plunge and 5K Run to the Plunge as the Sussex County resort town continues dealing with the aftermath of last weekend’s snowstorm, organizers of the annual Special Olympics fundraiser said on Feb. 26.

“Rehoboth Beach is navigating significant challenges because of the snowstorm,” a Special Olympics Delaware email announced. “At present, the boardwalk and all beach crossings remain snow covered and many sidewalks throughout downtown Rehoboth are as well.”

The plunge and 5K had been rescheduled to March 1 after severe weather conditions in late January caused it to be moved from its original Feb. 1 date.

The plunge will not be rescheduled for this year.

Last weekend’s storm brought nearly 2 feet of snow to parts of Sussex, closing hundreds of roads when trees and wires were downed. There were also power outages across the county, including Rehoboth Beach which had to restore power to its wastewater treatment facility.

Plunging for a cause

The polar bear plunge is one of Special Olympics Delaware’s more popular fundraisers, drawing more than 4,000 participants last year.

In recent years, the event has been bringing in more than a million dollars for Special Olympics Delaware. Last year, plunge events drew $1.3 million, just shy of the record-breaking $1.5 million raised in 2024.

Alex Seymore, Special Olympics Delaware’s director of digital media, said the organization had already raised more than $1 million from this year’s event.

“We expect a small impact,” Seymore told Delaware Online/The News Journal. “But again, we’re showing that we’ve raised over a million dollars.

He added they are reviewing how the cancelation will impact them and their services.

“It’s been just a couple hours, so we’re not completely positive how it will impact things in the long run,” he said. “We’re thankful for everybody that’s helped raise this money through this time.”

What is still occurring

While the plunge and 5k and been canceled this year, there are other indoor events that will continue as scheduled:

Feb. 27

4 p.m. to 7 p.m. – pick up packets and souvenir sales for the Plunge and 5K Run to the Plunge at the Rehoboth Beach Convention Center, 229 Rehoboth Ave, Rehoboth Beach.

Feb. 28

noon to 2 p.m. Fire & Ice in the Atlantic Sands Ballroom, 1 Baltimore Ave, Rehoboth Beach.
2:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. Restaurant chili contest.
4 p.m. to 7 p.m. – pick up packets and souvenir sales for the Plunge and 5K Run to the Plunge at the Rehoboth Beach Convention Center, 229 Rehoboth Ave, Rehoboth Beach.

Send tips or story ideas to Esteban Parra at (302) 324-2299 or eparra@delawareonline.com.

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Delaware

Trump Accounts for kids; are they available in Delaware?

Published

1 day ago

February 26, 2026

Press Room

Trump Accounts for kids; are they available in Delaware?

President Donald Trump touted his Trump Accounts for kids platform during his State of the Union address Tuesday, Feb. 24, months before the savings account program goes live this summer.

Roughly 63% of parents open bank accounts for the newborns and young children according to The Financial Brand, showing that in general, opening a bank accounts for your child is a good idea.

But what, exactly, are Trump Accounts for kids, and does it make sense for you to open one for your child? Here’s everything you need to know.

Trump Account for kids explained

The IRS explained in a memo Trump Accounts will be available for any children under 18, with $1,000 seed money available for newborns and very young children.

That account will be seeded with federal government funds.

“A Trump account is a type of traditional individual retirement account that is established for the exclusive benefit of an eligible individual and that is designated at its establishment as a Trump account,” read the IRS’ Trump Accounts memo. “Upon an election under the pilot program, $1,000 is paid by the Secretary to the Trump account of an eligible child.

“An eligible child means a qualifying child who is born after December 31, 2024 and before January 1, 2029, who is a U.S. citizen, and for whom no prior pilot program election has been made.”

The Trump Accounts website confirms parents do not need to make a contribution, but can deposit up to $5,000 a year into the interest-bearing account.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in comments published Jan. 28 a single $1,000 deposit into a Trump Account at birth should grow to an estimated $500,000 by the age of retirement.

When will Trump Accounts for kids lunch, and can I apply in Delaware?

Trump Accounts for kids will go live on Monday, July 5, and parents in Delaware are allowed to apply for the nationwide offering when it opens.

Until then, you can visit the Trump Accounts website to add your name to the email list to get an update when the service goes live.

The IRS and U.S. Department of the Treasury released Trump Accounts guidance you can read before opening an account.

Problems with Trump Accounts for kids

While opening a Trump Account for your child may seem a good thing, TIME uncovered a few problems with President Donald Trump’s namesake account service.

“The program may be open to every child, but its benefits will flow overwhelmingly to families with the means to contribute thousands of dollars a year. What could have been a leveling tool instead risks becoming a widening wedge between the haves and the have-nots,” read a portion of TIME’s take. “For a family living paycheck-to-paycheck that is unable to add anything beyond the government’s $1,000 seed deposit, the balance reaches just $5,839 by age 18. “

The Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies echoed much of that sentiment, and said Trump Accounts for kids will have the opposite effect from its stated goals.

Damon C. Williams is a Philadelphia-based journalist reporting on trending topics across the Mid-Atlantic Region.

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