At a Glance | November 21, 2018 Changes in 401(k) Balances for Consistent Participants Nearing Retirement The consistent participants sample is drawn from the EBRI/ICI 401(k) database of 27.1 million 401(k) participants at year-end 2016. CONSIS TENT PA R TICIPATION Average 401(k) Account Plan Balance Due to provider, plan, and participation shifts, looking at 1 consistent participants $167.3k Consistent 1 Participants allows for a more accurate view of changes over time. Consistent participants have accumulated sizable 401(k) plan $75.4k $75.4k Entire EBRI/ICI account balances. At year-end 401(k) Database $60.3k 2016, the average account balance among consistent 2010 2016 participants was more than double that of all participants. NE A RING RE TIREMENT Average 401(k) Account Plan Balance for Consistent Participants in Their 60s The average account balance 2 2 By Tenure Tenure of 401(k) participants in their sixties increased 74.8 percent $338.7k >30 yrs (a 9.8 percent compound annual average growth rate) between 2010 and 2016. $235.3k >20 to 30 yrs $219.4k All tenures $204.8k $146.8k >10 to 20 yrs $136k $117.1k $101.0k >5 to 10 yrs $70.4k $35.6k 2010 2016 1. The consistent sample is 6.1 million 401(k) plan participants with account balances at the end of each year from 2010 through 2016. 2. Tenure refers to years at the current employer and is generally derived from date of hire reported for the participant. Source: Jack VanDerhei, Sarah Holden, Luis Alonso, and Steven Bass. “What Does Consistent Participation in 401(k) Plans Generate? Changes in 401(k) Plan Account Balances, 2010–2016 .” EBRI Issue Brief, no. 464, and ICI Research Perspective, Vol. 24, no. 7 (November 2018). © 2018 EBRI