How can retirement plan sponsors and the advisors who work with them design plans that maximize participation, contributions and investment diversification?
Those are the key characteristics of a healthy 401(k) plan, according to Wells Fargo Institutional Retirement and Trust, which just released its 2018 Driving Plan Health report, based on analysis of more than 2,000 plans representing more than 4 million eligible employers.
The analysis found that participation, contributions and diversification have increased among the plans it studied but more needs to be done if employees will be able to replace 80% of their current income in retirement, which is the minimum goal.
The key is to have “more [plan] participants doing all they can to increase the likelihood for 80% income replacement,” says Mel Hooker, director of relationship management at Wells Fargo Institutional Retirement and Trust. That, says Hooker, can be accomplished through plan design.
The Wells Fargo analysis found that 16 features generated the best outcomes and four of them had the most influence on those outcomes:
- Automatic enrollment with a default of 6% or more
- An opt-out option to increase the default percentage to 10% or higher
- Diversified investment offerings, including target date funds
- Above-average company match of at least 5%, or profit sharing
“Plan design when utilized most effectively changes outcomes for employees,” Hooker tells ThinkAdvisor, noting that many features can help reverse the inertia that gets in the way of an employee maximizing retirement savings.