Issue Briefs

“The Cost of Spousal Health Coverage,” and “The Role of Social Security, Defined Benefits, and Private Retirement Accounts in the Face of the Retirement Crisis”

Spousal Health Coverage: Companies looking to save health costs by requiring working spouses to get health insurance through their own employer find the move has some unexpected consequences, according to a new study by EBRI. Press release.

Social Security and 401(k) Savings: Current levels of Social Security benefits, coupled with at least 30 years of 401(k) savings eligibility, could provide most workers with an annual income of at least 60 percent of their preretirement pay on an inflation-adjusted basis, according to a new analysis by EBRI. Press release.

EBRI Notes Jan 23, 2014 24 pages

401(k) Plan Asset Allocation, Account Balances, and Loan Activity in 2012

A greater number of 401(k) plan participants are investing in target-date funds over time. At year-end 2012, 41 percent of 401(k) participants held target-date funds, according to a report released today by EBRI and the Investment Company Institute (ICI). EBRI Issue Brief Dec 23, 2013 52 pages

“Views on Employment-Based Health Benefits: Findings from the 2013 Health and Voluntary Workplace Benefits Survey,” and “How Much Would it Take? Achieving Retirement Income Equivalency between Final-Average-Pay Defined Benefit Plan Accruals and Volun ..

Workplace Benefits Survey: Most workers are satisfied with the health benefits they have now and express little interest in changing the current mix of benefits and wages offered by their employers, according to a new survey by EBRI.

DB-DC: How generous would a traditional pension plan have to be in order to produce as much income as a 401(k)? New modeling from EBRI finds there’s no simple answer, but rather tremendous variation, depending on the different factors involved.

EBRI Notes Dec 19, 2013 24 pages

Employment-Based Retirement Plan Participation: Geographic Differences and Trends, 2012

The number of workers participating in an employment-based retirement plan has increased slightly, although the level of participation is down slightly, according to a new analysis by EBRI. EBRI Issue Brief Nov 12, 2013 44 pages

401(k) Participants in the Wake of the Financial Crisis: Changes in Account Balances, 2007–2011

The average 401(k) account balance for participants consistently participating in their 401(k) plans for the four years from 2007 through 2011 was up 23.5 percent at year-end 2011 compared with year-end 2007, despite the sharp decline caused by the bear market in 2008, according to a report released today by EBRI and ICI. EBRI Issue Brief Oct 17, 2013 20 pages

“2013 Health and Voluntary Workplace Benefits Survey: Nearly 90% of Workers Satisfied With Their Own Health Plan, But 55% Give Low Ratings to Health Care System,” and “How Does Household Income Change in the Ten Years Around Age 65?”

Health Care Satisfaction—While the vast majority of workers say they are satisfied with their own health insurance plan, more than half give low ratings to the American heath care system as a whole, according to a new survey by EBRI and Greenwald & Associates. Press release.

Household Income—Will Americans have to live on less after they turn age 65? It often depends on how much your income was before you turned age 65, according to a new report by EBRI. Press release.

EBRI Notes Sep 26, 2013 16 pages

“Retirement Plan Participation: Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP) Data, 2012,” and “Satisfaction With Health Coverage and Care: Findings from the 2012 EBRI/MGA Consumer Engagement in Health Care Survey”

Retirement Participation: Since the end of the economic recession, a higher percentage of workers are working for employers that offer retirement plans and a higher percentage of them are participating in the plans, according to a new report by EBRI. Press release.

Health Satisfaction: Americans with health insurance appear to be warming up to so-called consumer-driven health plans, even as the traditionally greater popularity of traditional health plans is slipping, according to new research from EBRI. Press release.

EBRI Notes Aug 28, 2013 24 pages

The Impact of a Retirement Savings Account Cap

The Obama administration’s proposal to cap tax-favored retirement savings plans could affect significant numbers of workers should interest rates return to their historically higher levels, according to a new analysis by EBRI. EBRI Issue Brief Aug 26, 2013 28 pages

“Tracking Health Insurance Coverage by Month: Trends in Employment-Based Coverage Among Workers, and Access to Coverage Among Uninsured Workers, 1995–2012,” and “Decisions, Decisions: Choices That Affect Retirement Income Adequacy—EBRI’s 72nd Policy ..

Health Care Coverage: Although the economy continues to grow in the wake of the recent recession, the percentage of workers with health benefits is not following suit, according to a new report by EBRI. Press release.

Retirement Income Adequacy: A wide variety of internal and external forces influence the retirement readiness of Americans, and a recent policy forum sponsored by EBRI examined those factors, as well as a series of strategic and tactical decisions that can mitigate their impact. Press release.

EBRI Notes Jul 18, 2013 24 pages

Reality Checks: A Comparative Analysis of Future Benefits from Private-Sector, Voluntary-Enrollment 401(k) Plans vs. Stylized, Final-Average-Pay Defined Benefit and Cash Balance Plans

Which type of retirement plan is likely to produce more money for retirement: A voluntary-enrollment 401(k), a traditional final-average defined benefit plan, or one of the newer cash balance plans? A detailed analysis by EBRI finds there is no single answer because a multitude of factors affect the ultimate outcome: interest rates and investment returns; the level and length of participation; an individual’s age, job tenure, and remaining length of time in the work force; and the purchase price of an annuity, among other things. EBRI Issue Brief Jun 28, 2013 52 pages