An opportunity for American workers to save toward retirement is celebrating its second anniversary this month.

MyRA.gov is designed by the U.S. Department of Treasury as a “starter retirement savings account” that aims to provide an option for workers who don’t have access to an employer-sponsored plan.

The two-year mark comes as politicians in Washington debate the future of Social Security, a lifeline for many retirees, and as study after study show that Americans just aren’t putting enough money away for retirement on their own.

According to the Federal Reserve, 31 percent of Americans have no retirement savings. And, in households close to retirement, the median retirement savings is just $14,500, according to the National Institute on Retirement Security.

What’s more, employers haven’t made it easy for all workers to set aside money for retirement. About 30 percent of people who work in private industry have no retirement benefits at work, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

In fact, for part-time workers, 63 percent have no plan. Nearly 50 percent of employees in small businesses of less than 100 people have no access. For waiters, housekeepers and other service industry workers, 60 percent have no available employee-sponsored retirement plan.

Those workers are losing out on the critical years it takes to build the kind of robust retirement plan necessary to allow retirees to afford more than only the essentials. According to the National Institute on Retirement Security, households with workers who have a retirement plan save 13 times more than working-age households overall.

MyRA.gov is designed as an easy way for workers to build their own plan. The simple design allows users to set up automatic contributions and even withdraw the money they invested without tax or penalty. It’s their account, not their employers. So if they switch jobs, for instance, the account stays with them.

There’s no minimum balance required or risk. Investments are backed by the U.S. Treasury. And it’s free to open. There are no fees or other costs.

It is designed for people who have just begun to save. Once the account balance reaches $15,000, the money is moved to a private-sector Roth IRA so account holders can continue to boost their savings.

MyRA.gov’s website has handy calculators to help users set goals and track them. For instance, users who set aside $5 a week in the plan could save more than $1,300 over five years.

The website also shares stories of users who are reaping the benefits of the plan, including a number of small business owners who have encouraged their own employees to start saving through it. Other than urging their workers to sign on, employers are not involved in the plan, don’t pay anything and aren’t involved in administering or contributing to the account.

“MyRA is a wonderful opportunity for a community of employees who historically don’t save to start saving for retirement,” said Wendell Kimbrough, CEO of St. Louis-based Area Resources for Community and Human Services, in a story on MyRA.gov’s website. “In some cases they haven’t been exposed to retirement options or don’t see the advantage. myRA makes it so easy.”

Ready to start saving? MyRA.gov might be a solution for you.

The CESI Team is committed to helping you reach your financial goals. If debt keeps you from living the life you dream of, contact us for a free debt analysis today and get started on the road to a brighter future!

This article was syndicated and originally appeared on the CESI Debt Solutions website.