Five Ways to Increase Retirement Plan Participation Among Millennials

Millennials — loosely defined as those born between 1981 and 1996 — are quickly becoming the largest generation, slated to surpass Baby Boomers later this year. But unlike Boomers, many of whom are exiting the workforce with the proverbial three-legged retirement stool at their disposal (i.e. defined benefit plan, defined contribution and personal savings, and Social Security), the majority of Millennials haven’t saved a penny for retirement and likely do not have a pension plan, which makes it critical for plan sponsors to make efforts to increase millennial participation.

Defined Contribution Plan Concerns for 2019

As 2018 comes to a close, plan sponsors will want to make sure they understand the current landscape in the retirement plan industry along with potential concerns they may face for the coming year. With more scrutiny over fiduciary roles, it is important to be pro-active and actionable. However, many sponsors don’t realize that there are greater responsibilities beyond setting up and maintaining the retirement plan program. We have outlined the common concerns for 2019 that plan sponsors share regarding their defined contribution plans.

Attributes of a Successful Retirement Plan Program

Retirement plans can be a great benefit for drawing and retaining employees. However, is your retirement plan deemed attractive to current and potential employees? How does it compare to other employers you consider peers? An attractive DC plan does not happen by chance – it requires thoughtful plan design. If you craft a plan prudently and with their retirement in sight, it will be beneficial to both your company and your participants. We have helped many plan sponsors with their plan design and observed the main attributes that make a successful retirement plan program.

Improving Employee Retirement Readiness

Recently, the focus of plan sponsors has shifted from reducing plan costs to ensuring plan participants’ retirement readiness and helping them set accurate retirement goals. As a result, the majority of sponsors are working to improve investment menus and change their plan design. Those, however, are only some parts of the overall picture for improving employee retirement readiness.

What retirees are the least prepared for and need the most help with are understanding how long their money will last in retirement, knowing how much they will need when they retire and preparing for the risks inherent to retirement. Here are four key aspects plan sponsors should consider to help plan participants aptly prepare for retirement.

Why Auto-Enrollment Matters for Plan Sponsors

In 2006, Congress passed the Pension Protection Act, which authorized employers to enroll workers in retirement plans automatically. According to the IRS, automatic enrollment is the ability of employers to contribute a certain percentage or amount from an eligible employee’s paycheck into an employee’s retirement account. Employees retain the right to opt out of the program or change the deducted amount. Auto enrollment for defined contribution plans can increase saving rates. It also serves to overcome an employee’s inertia, as many workers find enrolling to be time-consuming and overwhelming. The employer sets the initial level of deduction, helping employees to save more.