
A Future of ‘Coopetition’

Insights on What Really Matters to Participants
Findings of a national survey debunked some myths about what employees think about work and retirement.

What Participants Want

As Participants Shun Annuities, Some Are Depleting Savings Quickly
Research suggests making participants more comfortable with annuitizing their savings could help them with spending in retirement.
Addressing Millennials’ Debt vs. Saving Dilemma
A number of Millennials are misinformed about when to save and invest for retirement, and they need plan sponsor help with student loan debt.
Employees More Focused on Financial Planning Related to Life Events
Employees surveyed said their ideas and feeling about money varied greatly throughout each life stage, and 40% identified more with others who are going through similar life events than those in defined generations.
Participants’ Satisfaction with Providers Continues to Decline
NARPP says that if retirement plan participants trusted their providers more, it would likely lead to higher deferral rates.
Plan Design, Education and Advice Can Improve Participant Retirement Savings
Defined contribution plan participants and non-participants surveyed by Natixis shared incentives that would encourage them to save or save more for retirement.
Employees Express Preferences for Retirement Plan Communications
Studies from Empower Institute found many commonly used industry terms don’t make sense to their intended audience, and employees perceive retirement plan communications as wordy and long, complex and confusing, generic, overwhelming and wasteful.
Retirement Industry People Moves
Beacon Pointe Advisors names CIO; Asset-Map partners with Cambridge Investment Research; VALIC appoints new business development vice president; and more.
Inheritance Is Not a Sound Retirement Strategy
Younger workers who came of age during the Great Recession are now making decisions that will have a lasting impact on their ability to generate wealth, including their ability to prepare for retirement, according to a new survey.
Health Care Costs Remain Retirement Planning Blind Spot
According to a new survey, 76% of employees say they understand the salient features of health savings accounts, or “HSAs,” yet only 12% could correctly identify the common attributes of an HSA in a simple quiz.
Education a Top Factor in Gaining Retirement Plan Participants’ Trust
“This study shows that for financial firms who want to improve retirement savings outcomes must evolve their role from just account providers to trusted partners that people can turn to for help on holistic financial wellness,” NARPP says.
Millennials Doubt Happy Retirement Will Exist
The majority believe they will have to work much longer than previous generations, Prudential learned in a survey
By Cutting Back, Current Retirees Navigate Financial Shocks
Some of today’s retirees are financially fragile, but most appear able to absorb financial shocks without incurring severe hardship; this may very well change in a DC plan-dominated future, CRR researchers warn.
Personalized Videos Adds to List of Targeted Features
Voya Financial says these new one-minute videos will combine an individual's "monthly income replacement goals, estimated monthly retirement income and possible shortfalls" to visualize their path towards retirement.