Plan Sponsor

For many workers, early retirement is the ultimate goal — carefree days filled with road trips, golf, or time spent with friends and family. Yet, reality often tells a different story. Many Americans are retiring years sooner than they expected to, often due to health problems, layoffs, or other unanticipated events. According to the 2024 EBRI Retirement Confidence Survey, the median retirement age in the U.S. is 62 — yet the median expected retirement age is 65.

Despite the importance of retirement planning, a staggering 67% of investors admit to spending no time at all working on it in a typical month, according to a recent survey conducted by the Nationwide Retirement Institute. That’s a vast majority of investors failing to take even small steps toward securing their financial future. For plan sponsors, this presents both a challenge and an opportunity.

Generation X — comprising those born between 1965 and 1980 — faces unique financial and social pressures that have left almost half of them with no retirement savings. For plan sponsors, providing tools and resources tailored to this generation’s needs can play a crucial role in helping them take meaningful and measurable steps toward retirement readiness.

A 2023 Vanguard study found that a quarter of participants deferred less than 4% of their income — generally below the threshold to maximize an employer match. While financial constraints play a role for some, psychological factors can also contribute. Understanding these cognitive biases can help explain why workers forfeit free money — and highlight strategies to help.

Over the past couple of years, the so-called “Great Resignation” has led to an unprecedented number of career changes. At the same time, the boom in remote and gig work means that skilled employees have more choices than ever. For that reason, recruiting and retaining talent in today’s climate can be challenging. Offering the right blend of benefits for your target talent pool can give your company a competitive edge. While there’s no single ideal benefits package, there are tactics you can use to find the one that’s best for your organization.

According to a recent release, the Portability Services Network (PSN) has now grown to include six providers, covering over 15,000 retirement plans and 5 million members. For employees with balances under $7,000, PSN, led by Robert L. Johnson's Retirement Clearinghouse LLC, allows the automated transfer of retirement funds. The goal of this approach is to decrease the number of cash-outs and keep investors from losing sight of their retirement assets.