Analysis of research and data shows today’s working Americans will likely have more money in retirement than previous generations
American workers have greater access to workplace retirement plans than previous generations, they are saving more and are expected to have more money in retirement — all factors that run counter to the perception of a crisis in retirement savings, says a new report by the Empower Institute.
Empower Institute: A retirement savings crisis in America? Not so fast.
The Empower Institute, which is a research group within Empower Retirement, also lays out areas of focus for improving the retirement system.
The report, “The Over-Stated Retirement Crisis,” which is based upon publicly available literature, challenges the view that the 40-year-old defined contribution system is overly deficient in providing adequate retirement security for American workers.
“Workplace retirement plans have evolved and improved over the years, which makes saving for retirement easier and more accessible for more American workers,” says the paper’s analysis of the available research, noting that when workplace savings plans are considered in the context of the greater retirement system, Americans today are saving proportionately more than in the past.
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In 1975 total retirement savings were equal to 48 percent of total employee wages, according to Federal Reserve Board data. In 2017, with the defined contribution system fully established, retirement assets topped 337% of employee wages.
The Institute’s analysis of the research says it’s important to closely examine the entirety of the evolving and improving of the workplace retirement savings system, workers’ total assets, and savings rates as a whole, rather than as a single silo of data capturing any one factor.
The research shows that approximately $7.5 trillion is held in defined contribution plans, and access to workplace plans has increased over time. While 71 percent of civilian employees have access to either a defined benefit or a defined contribution plan, in 80 percent of married couples at least one spouse has access to a retirement plan. Total employee and employer contributions have increased from an average of 9.9 percent of employee salaries in 1984 to 12.8 percent of employee salaries in 2017.1
The Institute’s analysis of the research says that improvements to the retirement system are offering better levels of protection for retirement savers now than in the past. Portability and ownership, regulatory oversight, and the provision of advice are seen as key areas of focus.
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Room for Improvement Remains
The Institute study indicates that while the reputational issues with the retirement system may be over-played, work remains to be done to improve the prospects for more Americans.
“[E]ach generation of savers is better off than the one that preceded it. While the current system is not broken, we can continue to work to improve it,” write the authors. Recommended paths forward include:
- Increasing plan access: The retirement system works best for those who have access to workplace retirement plans and can take advantage of the whole system beyond those plans, writes the Institute.
- Improving plan features: Within individual plans, employers can choose options, such as automatic features, company-matching contributions, financial wellness plug-ins and advice solutions that can help their employees save more.
- Public policy advocacy: Stakeholders in the retirement system can advocate for opportunities to increase coverage and portability. These efforts may include public policy interventions such as Social Security reform and open multi-employer plans, among other topics. Future legislation may further expand and protect Americans’ ability to build savings and generate income with the goal of achieving a comfortable retirement.
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