Issue Briefs

2012 Health Confidence Survey: What if Congress decides to start taxing workers’ health benefits as a means to raise revenue as part of an effort to rein in the federal deficit? More than half of American workers would either switch to a less costly plan, shop around, or drop coverage, according to new research from EBRI. Press release.

Employee Tenure: Americans who have jobs are staying in them longer as overall job tenure in the United States ticked up in 2012, but U.S. job tenure is still shorter than many assume. The median (mid-point) length of time on the job for American workers in 2012 is just 5.4 years, according to new research from EBRI. Press release.

EBRI Notes Dec 20, 2012 24 pages

401(k) savers continued to seek diversified portfolios in 2011, with 61 percent of 401(k) participants’ assets invested in equity securities and 34 percent in fixed-income securities, on average, according to the annual update of a joint study released today by the Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI) and the Investment Company Institute (ICI). EBRI Issue Brief Dec 20, 2012 56 pages

Adults in a consumer-driven health plan (CDHP) were more likely than those in a traditional plan to exhibit a number of cost-conscious behaviors, according to new research from EBRI. EBRI Issue Brief Dec 18, 2012 28 pages

Self-Insured Health Plans: Large private-sector employers are driving a trend toward more “self-insured” health plans, according to a new report by EBRI.

Retirement Readiness: Among those who are likely to miss their retirement savings goal, how many will be close? And how many will miss it by a mile? According to a new report by EBRI, nearly half of Generation X households will have enough to cover basic retirement costs, and about a third will fall short—but not by much. About 20 percent are likely to be far off-target.

EBRI Notes Nov 29, 2012 24 pages

As the economy slowly recovered from the recent recession, American workers’ participation in employment-based retirement plans stabilized, according to a new report by EBRI. EBRI Issue Brief Nov 27, 2012 44 pages

Health savings: Projections for how much elderly Americans need to save for out-of-pocket health care in retirement have edged lower, due to a provision the federal health reform law that will cover more of their prescription drug costs, according to a new report by EBRI. Press release.

IRAs: The investment allocation of individual retirement accounts (IRAs) varies by a variety of factors, but the asset allocation differences between genders was minimal, according to a new report by EBRI. Press release.

EBRI Notes Oct 25, 2012 24 pages

A growing number of workers are realizing they will not get retiree health care from their employer after they stop working, according to a new report by EBRI. While earlier research found little impact from reductions in coverage on current retirees, EBRI finds that initial changes employers made to retiree health benefits affected future retirees as opposed to then-current retirees. Over time, more and more retirees have “aged into” those program changes, resulting in the greater impact found in more recent studies. EBRI Issue Brief Oct 23, 2012 24 pages

The uninsured rate for working-age Americans ticked down in 2011, but only because public program coverage grew faster than employment-based health insurance coverage declined, according to a new report by EBRI. While employment-based health coverage is still the dominant source of health insurance in the United States, it has been steadily shrinking since 2000. EBRI Issue Brief Sep 27, 2012 36 pages

Although fewer American families are participating in a retirement plan at work, more of those with a plan are in a 401(k). At the same time, ownership of individual retirement accounts (IRAs) is falling, according to a new report by EBRI. EBRI Issue Brief Sep 26, 2012 28 pages

Health Confidence Survey: The recent U.S. Supreme Court decision upholding the constitutionality of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) appears to have have had little impact on Americans' confidence about their health care, according to a new report by EBRI.

401(k) Contributions: Setting a higher starting point for 401(k) contributions would make a significant difference in improving workers’ likelihood of a financially viable retirement, according to new research by EBRI.

EBRI Notes Sep 25, 2012 24 pages