Employees Not Taking Advantage of 401(k) Plan Offerings

May 7, 2012 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - Despite efforts by employers to educate workers on their 401(k) offering, most workers are not taking full advantage of their plans.

More than half (54%) of employers report that employees participating in plans are not taking full advantage of the investment options, features and services offered in connection with their 401(k) plan, according to a survey by Charles Schwab.    

In order to better engage employees, the majority of employers plan to make as much or more extensive use of traditional outreach methods, including interactive planning tools (93%), printed educational materials (93%) and in-person workshops (81%). Only 16% of employers plan to adopt or promote personalized savings and investment management through a third-party adviser.  

A growing number of employers are using or considering the use of automatic solutions. In total, 45% are currently auto-enrolling employees and another 25% are very or somewhat likely to do so.   

In July and August 2011, CFO Research Services conducted an online survey and gathered responses from 215 senior finance and human resources executives at U.S. companies with annual revenues of $100 million or higher.

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