President Barack Obama harped on a vintage idea in announcing the focus of his 2015 State of the Union address: auto-enrolling workers whose companies do not offer 401(k) retirement plans into Individual Retirement Accounts.

Obama wants employers without a retirement plan and employing more than 10 people to automatically sign up their workers in an Individual Retirement Account, or IRA. Sometimes businesses find it cost-prohibitive to offer retirement plans on a companywide basis, as well as providing a match to employee contributions.

Instead of opting into a savings plan under current law, workers would be able to opt out of having their own retirement account. The White House has cited research that the automatic plan would increase participation and contributions.

IRA contributions are generally tax-free, like 401(k) contributions, though there is no possibility of an employer match, which 401(k) plans can offer.

In the 2014 State of the Union address, Obama pledged to issue an executive order regarding the creation of "myRA" savings bonds to help Americans save for retirement. With "myRAs," a person can open an account with as little as $25 and contribute $5 with each paycheck. In general, IRAs require minimum deposits that some low-wage workers cannot meet.

The White House considers the 2015 push for automatic IRA enrollment a "complement" to this idea.

Whether Congress will go along with his retirement proposals after years of lukewarm reception is another story.

This promise remains In the Works.