Administration July 9, 2006

Survey Finds Auto Plan Features Gaining Popularity

September 19, 2005 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - Efforts to boost defined contribution plan participation rates through automatic plan features appear to be gaining a foothold as 26% of corporate finance officials report that their plans now include auto enrollment.

Reported by

Fred Schneyer

A news release about the CFO Outlook Survey, conducted by Financial Executives International and Baruch College’s Zicklin School of Business, reported that 21% of the auto enrollment group just added the feature in the last year.

Other signs that plan sponsors are buying into participation-boosting plan features, according to the release: The survey reported that almost 47% now feature lifestyle funds with 15% of that group having tacked them onto the investment lineup in the last 12 months (See Special Report: LIFESTYLE FUNDS: Easy Does It? ),and more than a third (35%) offer personalized investment advice, with 14% of that group specifying it was enacted in the last year.

Turning their attention to corporate governance issues, the CFOs polled are nearly united in their views on whether the deadline for smaller companies to comply with Sarbanes-Oxley should be extended by one year (See Another Extension on SOX Compliance for Small Businesses ). Eighty-three percent support a one-year extension or indicate that the deadline should be extended even further.

CFOs hold similar views about recent verdicts in trials of corporate executives, believing as a group that the punishment for corporate wrongdoers should be severe.

The CFO Outlook Survey, conducted by Financial Executives International and Baruch College’s Zicklin School of Business, interviewed 315 corporate CFOs electronically in late August and early September.

More information is at http://www.baruch.cuny.edu/cfosurvey/documents/topline_q3_2005.pdf .