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Lump-Sum Distributions at Job Change

An increasing percentage of retirement plan participants are preserving their retirement assets in tax-qualified accounts, but a significant number are using at least some these assets to pay off debts, start a business, or buy a home, according to a study released today by the EBRI. Press release EBRI Notes Jan 8, 2009 12 pages

401(k) Plan Asset Allocation, Account Balances, and Loan Activity in 2007

More than 7 percent of 401(k) assets at year-end 2007 were invested in lifecycle funds and one-quarter of 401(k) participants held lifecycle funds, according to analysis by the nonpartisan Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI) and the Investment Company Institute (ICI). The findings are part of the annual update of the EBRI/ICI 401(k) database, the largest of its kind, and represent the two groups' first application of the database to examine investors' use of lifecycle funds. EBRI Issue Brief Dec 18, 2008 52 pages

Availability, Contributions, Account Balances, and Rollovers in Account-Based Health Plans

This article provides findings from the 2008 EBRI Consumer Engagement in Health Care Survey, as well as earlier surveys, examining the availability of HRA and HSA-eligible plans (so-called consumer-driven health plans or CDHPs). It also looks at employer and individual contribution behavior, time enrolled in such plans, account balances, and rollover behavior. It found that contributions to CDHPs are growing and that account balances are increasing. Press release EBRI Notes Dec 11, 2008 16 pages

EBRI Marks 30th Anniversary of Providing Benefits Research

The nonpartisan Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI) celebrated its 30th anniversary on December 4, marking its third decade of providing “just the facts” research on retirement, savings, health, and other employee benefit programs to the public, policy makers, academics, and others around the world. EBRI does no lobbying or advocacy. EBRI Press Release Dec 9, 2008

‘Retirement Annuity and Employment-Based Pension Income Among Individuals Age 50 and Over: 2007’ and ‘Employer Spending on Benefits, 2007’

Annuity Income: Ltest data confirm earlier findings that gender, marital status, age, education, and other demographic variables have a significant impact on the likelihood of a worker receiving a retirement annuity and/or employment-based pension income in retirement. Employer Spending on Benefits: Employer spending on total compensation continues to increase, reaching almost $8 trillion at year-end 2007 or almost 35 percent higher in 2000. Wages and salaries accounted for the lion’s share, $6.4 trillion (or 81.4 percent), while benefits made up the remainder, $1.5 trillion (18.6 percent).  Press release EBRI Notes Nov 26, 2008 12 pages

Findings From the 2008 EBRI Consumer Engagement in Health Care Survey

Enrollment in consumer-directed or high-deductible health plans eligible for a tax-preferred savings account increased to 9.8 million adults this year, with participants more likely to have higher incomes and be in better health than those with traditional health coverage, according to survey results released by the nonpartisan Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI). EBRI Issue Brief Nov 18, 2008 44 pages

The 2008 Health Confidence Survey: Rising Costs Continue to Change the Way Americans Use the Health Care System

Americans continued to be battered by rising health care costs this year, with more than half of those with health insurance reporting they experienced higher costs. Some said the increases adversely affected their household finances and some said the U.S. health care system is so flawed that it should be completely overhauled, according to the 2008 Health Confidence Survey (HCS). Press release EBRI Notes Oct 7, 2008 16 pages