Survey Says... What's Your Take on Financial Wellness Programs?
A recent comprehensive TIAA survey of financial wellness plan participant perceptions may be helpful to plan sponsors who have, or are considering implementing, a wellness plan for their employees.
Employees’ definition of financial wellness varies considerably: “having the means to take care of your family and others” (53%), “not worrying about money or debts” (51%), and “feeling protected financially from life’s unexpected events” (51%), well ahead of retirement financial security (36%). Also, they rank the “ability to pay monthly bills without difficulty” (38%) and “having a reliable source of income” (38%) ahead of being on track with retirement savings (16%) when asked about their current priorities for securing financial wellness.
Interestingly, the TIAA survey found most people don’t consider retirement planning as a component of their financial wellness. However, 57% of respondents are interested in learning more about retirement planning through an employer financial wellness program. Many employees feel that it is difficult to focus on their retirement when there are more immediate pressing needs. “The most impactful financial wellness programs help address both short-term and long-term goals since they are linked together.” according to Snezana Zlatar, senior managing director and head of financial wellness advice and innovation at TIAA.
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