2015 Issue Briefs

CPS: Estimates from the new and redesigned Current Population Survey (CPS) by the U.S. Census Bureau show a drop in the percentage of Americans who participate in a workplace retirement plan. However, the results raise doubts about the use of CPS data to assess current and future retirement plan coverage policies, according to a new analysis by EBRI. Press release.

Generational Views of Benefits: Compared to their older cohorts, Millennial workers are less interested and knowledgeable about their work place benefits, and prefer life insurance over health insurance, according to a new analysis by EBRI. Press release.

EBRI Notes Dec 17, 2015 28 pages

Consumer-driven health plans appear to be succeeding at getting people to pay attention to their health costs and behavior, according to new research by EBRI. EBRI Issue Brief Dec 15, 2015 28 pages

On average, households spend less once they retire—but not all households, and not in the same ways. New research from EBRI finds that while average spending in retirement falls in the first two years in retirement, nearly half of retired households actually spent more than they did just before retirement. That declines over time. EBRI Issue Brief Nov 19, 2015 20 pages

Benefits Survey: More than three-quarters of American workers say their workplace benefits package is important to their decision to take or reject a job, according to new research by EBRI and Greenwald & Associates. Press release.

DC Benefits: Private-sector retirement benefits have long been dominated by “defined contribution” plans funded primarily by workers’ own contributions. Private-sector health benefits are still funded primarily by employers, but that may be starting to change with the advent of “defined contribution” health plans. This has major implications for the American work force, the U.S. health care system, and even economic security in the nation, which were explored at EBRI’s 76th policy forum held in Washington this spring. Press release.

EBRI Notes Nov 18, 2015 28 pages

Retiree health savings: Projected savings targets needed to cover health care in retirement are going up again after several years of decline, according to new research by EBRI. This follows more recent declines during 2012-2014.

DB-DC: Does a traditional “defined benefit” pension provide greater retirement security than a “defined contribution” 401(k)-type plan? The complicated answer to that simple question depends on your salary level and the level of pre-retirement income to be replaced, according to a new analysis by EBRI.

EBRI Notes Oct 22, 2015 24 pages

More working-age Americans had health insurance in last year due to an increase in individuals buying health coverage individually and the growth of publicly financed care such as Medicaid, according to a new report by EBRI. The rate of coverage through employment-based health plans was essentially flat. EBRI Issue Brief Oct 20, 2015 56 pages

WBS: Significantly fewer workers say they experienced health care cost increases in 2015 compared with previous years, according to new research by EBRI. Press release.

IRAs: Owners of individual retirement accounts (IRAs) significantly increased their investment allocations to stock equities in 2013 compared with the two previous years, according to new analysis by EBRI. Press release.

EBRI Notes Sep 17, 2015 28 pages

The average 401(k) account balance of workers who participated consistently in a 401(k) plan from year-end 2007 to year-end 2013 increased significantly between 2012 and 2013, according to an updated annual study by the Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI) and the Investment Company Institute (ICI). EBRI Issue Brief Sep 15, 2015 28 pages

Offering financial incentives to workers to participate in workplace wellness programs has a big impact on the programs’ success, according to new research by EBRI. EBRI Issue Brief Aug 26, 2015 24 pages

HSA Investment Options: Investment options in health savings accounts (HSAs) are a fairly new and not widely used option, but they tend to draw larger contributions and have higher balances where they do exist, according to a new analysis by EBRI.

Longevity Annuity Contracts: A recently authorized feature for 401(k) plans would allow workers to transform all or part of their retirement savings into a guaranteed stream of lifetime income, similar to what traditional pensions can provide. New modeling from EBRI finds this feature would be a significant help as a way to reduce their “longevity risk”—the risk of outliving their retirement savings—but only to those workers who can expect to have a long retirement.

EBRI Notes Aug 26, 2015 24 pages

IRAs: Relatively few owners of individual retirement accounts (IRAs) are withdrawing money from them, and most of those who do are those over age 70-½ who are required by law to take a distribution from their Traditional IRA, according to new research by EBRI. Press release.

Satisfaction Gap: Individuals with health insurance continue to express higher satisfaction with traditional health plans compared with so-called “consumer-driven” plans, but the “satisfaction gap” appears to be narrowing, according to new research from EBRI. Press release

EBRI Notes Jul 16, 2015 24 pages

Average health savings account (HSA) balances increased from $1,408 to $1,933 (up about 37 percent) in 2014, according to a new report by EBRI. EBRI Issue Brief Jul 14, 2015 28 pages

When family members help each other out--especially with the Baby Boom generation rapidly entering retirement--which way does the money flow: From old to young, or the other way around? New research from EBRI finds that, overwhelmingly, the generational transfer of money flows downhill: Mostly it’s older family members helping out their younger adult relatives than the other way around. EBRI Issue Brief Jun 18, 2015 32 pages

Self-Insured: Will small businesses follow the lead of bigger firms and start self-insuring their medical benefits to avoid the costs of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA)? So far (up to 2013, the latest data available), there is no evidence that they are doing so, according to new research by EBRI.

Auto-IRAs: If “automatic IRAs” (individual retirement accounts) were made universal, how significant could their impact be for increasing retirement readiness and reducing the national retirement savings deficit? That depends largely on age, the default contribution rate and the opt-out rate (the percentage of eligible employees who choose not to participate), according to new research by EBRI.

EBRI Notes Jun 17, 2015 32 pages

CDHPs: People of have so-called “consumer-driven” and high-deductible health plans tend to be older, more educated, and with higher incomes than those with traditional health plans, according to new research from EBRI. Press release.

Income Measures: A new analysis by EBRI shows that the new questions being used to measure income in the Census Bureau’s Current Population Survey found a significant amount of income from IRAs and 401(k)-type plans was being missed across all levels of income for Americans age 65 or older. Press release.

EBRI Notes May 28, 2015 16 pages

Assets in individual retirement accounts (IRAs) continue to rise, especially when counting multiple IRA accounts that individuals may have, according to new research by EBRI. EBRI Issue Brief May 26, 2015 36 pages

End-of-Life Finances: New research by EBRI shows that a large percentage of individuals who died recently had little or no assets. Those who died relatively younger were even more likely to be in this situation. Press release.

Big Data: Since “big data” is changing so many aspects of the business world, how is it affecting the way health and retirement benefits are provided to private-sector workers? At a recent policy forum sponsored by EBRI, several national experts described how employers and researchers are making a major commitment to capturing and analyzing the vast amount of health and retirement data in their benefits plans. Press release.

EBRI Notes Apr 23, 2015 24 pages

American workers and retirees are expressing higher confidence about their ability to afford retirement this year, even though there is little sign they are taking the necessary steps to achieve that goal, according to the 25th annual Retirement Confidence Survey—the longest-running survey of its kind. EBRI Issue Brief Apr 21, 2015 40 pages

Savings needs: How much do workers need to have saved for retirement at different ages? And based on their age and income, how much needs to be contributed to their defined contribution plan to ensure a financially successful retirement? New research from EBRI helps answer these important questions.

Health account contributions: Both employers and workers decreased their contributions to health savings accounts (HSAs) last year, according to new research from EBRI.

EBRI Notes Mar 26, 2015 28 pages

Financial incentives appear to be a crucial factor in bringing unhealthy workers into workplace wellness programs, according to a new analysis by EBRI EBRI Issue Brief Mar 24, 2015 20 pages