Where do people turn for trusted financial advice? How are they feeling about their retirement prospects? Research seems to indicate that a lot of people aren’t seeking financial guidance or feeling very confident about a comfortable retirement.
According to the Northwestern Mutual 2022 Planning & Progress Study, 62% of U.S. adults say their financial planning needs improvement, but just 35% work with a financial professional.1 That same survey found that 58% of adults who don’t work with a financial professional are somewhat or very anxious about their finances.1
Plan advisors and sponsors have a unique opportunity to support the women participating in employer-sponsored retirement plans — and that’s important because it’s long been recognized that men and women tend to approach investing quite differently.
When designing defined contribution (DC) retirement plans, many factors must be considered. Not only do plan designers have to ensure compliance with laws and regulations, but they also have to think of the employers (and their budgets) as well as how to best accommodate plan participants in a way that makes it worth everyone’s investment.
A good way to think about this is to see it through a lens of diversity and inclusion. How can this be accomplished?
It might not garner the same enthusiasm as Christmas, Halloween or other holidays on the calendar, but the observance of national 401(k) Day® should be cause for celebration. Granted there are no cookies, candy or costumes, but financial professionals and plan sponsors can use the opportunity to increase awareness about the importance of planning for retirement.
Is the American Dream falling out of view? According to our 2022 Middle Class Survey conducted in partnership with The Harris Poll, nearly half (49%) of middle-class Americans (those with an annual household income of $35,000 to $99,000) grade themselves at a C or lower on their ability to achieve the so-called American Dream. When looking specifically at those who are currently renting, that number jumps to 62%. What’s perhaps more distressing is that nearly a quarter of those surveyed (23%) who haven’t already retired say they expect to never be able to retire.1
