Retirement

EBRI Testimony Sept 16, 2014 11 pages

Health Plans: Who’s happier with their health plan—those in “traditional” managed care plans, or those in so-called “consumer-driven” and high-deductible plans? The latest data from EBRI show that the overall satisfaction rate among consumer-driven health plan (CDHP) enrollees is gradually increasing, while it is gradually decreasing among traditional enrollees. Press release.

Gen Xers: Are Gen Xers in worse shape than the Baby Boom generation when it comes to having enough money for retirement? Not if you take into account future contributions and the current trends in automatic plan design features, according to a new report by EBRI. Press release.

EBRI Notes Aug 14, 2014 28 pages

With major changes sweeping both health and retirement plans in the private sector, are employment-based benefits facing a “crisis” or merely an uncertain future? A recent industry-wide forum sponsored by EBRI brought together a variety of experts to focus on the issue and the challenges ahead. EBRI Issue Brief Aug 12, 2014 20 pages

The average account balance of workers who participated consistently in a 401(k) plan from year-end 2007 to year-end 2012 increased at a compound average annual growth rate of 6.8 percent during that period, despite a 34.7 percent drop in that group’s average 401(k) account balance in 2008, according to a new study by the Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI) and the Investment Company Institute (ICI). The increase in account balances reflects several factors, including employer and worker contributions, investment returns, withdrawals, and loans. EBRI Issue Brief Jul 31, 2014 28 pages

HSAs: With an ever-increasing number of Americans gaining access to health savings accounts (HSAs) via their employment-based health plan, how much could they accumulate for health care expenses in these accounts? The answer depends on how much is contributed to the HSA—a tax-exempt trust or custodial account that an individual can open and use to pay his or her health care expenses—as well as how much is withdrawn, and what the investment return and fees on the HSA are, according to new research by EBRI. Press release.

IRAs: Individual retirement accounts (IRAs) are a vital component of U.S. retirement savings, representing approximately one-quarter of all retirement assets in the nation. But as a growing number of Americans head into retirement, how much are they withdrawing from these accounts—and will it last? Press release

EBRI Notes Jul 29, 2014 24 pages

While much has changed with health and retirement benefits during the past three decades—the first generation of the main federal law governing private-sector benefits, the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA)—many of the issues that were present at the founding of EBRI in 1978 remain with us today. EBRI Issue Brief Jul 24, 2014 24 pages

EBRI Fast Facts July 24, 2014 1 pages

EBRI Fast Facts July 17, 2014 1 pages

EBRI Fast Facts July 10, 2014 1 pages

“Short” Falls: Will Baby Boomers and Gen Xers have enough money to live on when they retire, and if not, when will they run short? New modeling by EBRI finds that those in the lowest-income brackets are most likely to run short, many in the first year of retirement. But some in all income brackets—including the highest—may also run short at some point during their retirement. Press release.

HSA/HRA Consumer Engagement: Which type of health plan is more likely to get workers involved in their own health care: Health savings accounts or health reimbursement arrangements? The two account-based types of health insurance are similar, but a new report from EBRI finds that people with HSAs are more likely to engage in cost-conscious behavior related to use of health care services than are those in HRA. Press release.

EBRI Notes Jun 19, 2014 20 pages