
Just the Facts

Previewing Plan Features

Greater Access

Greater Expectations

Retirement Plan Asset Flows Can Influence Plan Decisions
A confluence of events has a few plan sponsors seeing more assets distributed from their plans than put into them.

Considering Four Categories of Plan Design Features
The American Academy of Actuaries outlines the different methods for improving participant outcomes that plan sponsors can use, depending on participant demographics.

Helping Near-Retirees Stay on Track for Retirement Security
It can be tempting for those nearing retirement to turn to equities in a last ditch effort to improve retirement savings, but certain communications and plan design features can steer them in the right direction.

Overcoming Obstacles

Advisers Can Help Retirement Plan Sponsors Regroup for 2021
Willis Towers Watson Outlines DC Plans 3.0
Willis Towers Watson’s Thinking Ahead Institute says defined contribution plan designs and communications will leverage technology to deliver a far more customized experience for participants.
ICMA-RC’s Plan Health Monitor Provides Plan and Participant Readiness Analytics
Advisers can use the tool to help retirement plan sponsors make educated decisions about how to improve their plans.
Timing Savings Options With a Raise Can Help With Financial Wellness
Seventy-five percent of workers said that if they were offered savings options at the time of a raise, they would be less stressed and more confident about their finances, according to a survey from Commonwealth.
UK Auto Enrollment Initiative Shows Participation Rate Increase
While the UK's requirement to automatically enroll all workers into a retirement plan showed a potential for a big boost in participation if the U.S. were to adopt a similar policy, finding about re-enrollment did not show a big boost.
Advisers Can Help Start-Up Retirement Plans Evolve
PLANSPONSOR’s 2018 Defined Contribution Survey found many start-up plans have not yet adopted plan design best practices and many are unsure about fees, but fortunately, nearly two-thirds employ the services of a retirement plan adviser or institutional investment consultant.
Using Behavioral Finance to Boost Retirement Security
IFEBP looks at how emotional, social and cognitive factors can be used to help participants better prepare for retirement and suggests 10 ways sponsors can employ behavioral finance in their retirement plan.
PSCA Finds Improvements in 401(k) Plan Design
More plan sponsors are making Roth contributions available, automatic enrollment default deferral percentages are increasing, and company match formulas are becoming more generous.
Study Suggests Multiple Provider Model Best for K-12 403(b) Plan Participants
The research found 25% greater participation in plans with 15 or more investment providers compared to plans with only one provider, and account balances are, on average, 73% higher among plans with 15 or more providers compared to single provider arrangements.
Inertia Remains a Plan Sponsor Problem, Too
The language of “inertia” and “disengagement” are often used to describe the natural state of retirement plan participants, but new research from Wells Fargo suggests plan sponsors are also prone to settling with the status quo.
Detailed Plan and Participant Analytics Can Improve Retirement Readiness
Willis Towers Watson believes that sponsors must analyze the retirement adequacy and meaningful benchmarks for individuals or segments of the population.
Plan Sponsor Clients Could Do More to Enhance Participant Retirement Readiness
The Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies makes suggestions in a new report for how employers can take steps to enhance retirement security for workers.