Products May 1, 2012

Good Health Leads to Retirement Savings Adequacy

May 1, 2012 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - An increasing number of employees view the solution to having adequate retirement savings as working longer.
Reported by

However, many employees are forced to retire earlier than planned due to health or disability issues.  To help employers better prepare their employees for retirement, the Principal Financial Group introduces a new approach in a white paper, Wellness = Retirement Savings.  For employees, wellness plans can help reduce out-of-pocket medical expenses leaving more discretionary income for retirement savings. 

“Health and wealth go hand in hand. Without good health, acquiring significant wealth and being able to enjoy it through retirement becomes more difficult to achieve for employees,” said Lee Dukes, president of Principal Wellness Company, a subsidiary of the Principal Financial Group. “It’s a matter of a shift in thinking. Instead of only focusing on saving more for retirement, employers can put a much greater emphasis on helping employees stay healthy so they spend less on health care. Spending less means they will potentially have more to save.”  

The white paper provides considerations for employers implementing wellness plans including: 

  • Aspects of a good wellness plan, 
  • Addressing health and wealth management through total wellness, and   
  • Best practices for structuring a wellness plan. 

The white paper can be downloaded from http://www.principal.com/about/news/research.htm.

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