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

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

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

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

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

How do retirees spend their out-of-pocket money on health care in retirement? New research from EBRI separates recurring and non-recurring health-care services and finds that usage and expenses of recurring health-care services remain stable throughout retirement, while usage of non-recurring ones increase with age and tend to be more expensive. EBRI Issue Brief Feb 23, 2015 24 pages

Tenure Trends: American workers are continuing to stay a bit longer in their jobs, according to new data from EBRI. The overall median tenure of workers—the midpoint of wage and salary workers’ length of employment in their current jobs—was slightly higher in 2014, at 5.5 years, compared with 5.0 years in 1983. Press release.

Views on Health Benefits: Most workers are satisfied with the health benefits they have now, but nearly one-third express interest in changing the current mix of benefits and wages offered by their employers, according to the latest findings from EBRI. Press release.

EBRI Notes Feb 19, 2015 24 pages

How big is the retirement savings gap that most Americans are likely to face? New research from EBRI indicates it varies widely by gender, marital status and other factors, but the aggregate national retirement savings deficit is about $4.13 trillion for all U.S. households between age 25 and 64. EBRI Issue Brief Feb 17, 2015 28 pages

HSAs: Who contributes the maximum amount to their health savings accounts (HSAs)? New research by EBRI finds that about 15 percent of HSA owners contributed the maximum amount possible in 2013. Press release.

Debt: A larger share of older American families had debt in 2013, and those with debt loads that are considered problematic also increased, according to a new report from EBRI. Press release. 

EBRI Notes Jan 29, 2015 24 pages