Roth Retirement Vehicles Promise to Be Boon: Roth 401(k) accounts just became available this...

A new type of retirement account just became available in 2006, and even though it may become a big market for banks to provide administration and back-office support, there are a slew of challenges to be met first. They include legislative and technological hurdles and the biggest one of all: human nature.

The Roth 401(k) plan was part of the tax-reform bill in 2001 but it was not until this year that companies could offer it to their employees, says Lori Lucas, director of retirement research at Hewitt Associates, a human-resources consulting firm. Roth IRAs, however,