SURVEY |

2025
PLANSPONSOR Participant Survey

For sponsors wanting to improve their plan’s design and engagement, our data show how well workers are saving in their retirement plan—plus the priority they give such plans against other financial benefits.

Reported by PLANSPONSOR
Current Savings, Plan Access and Advisers
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Current Savings, Plan Access and Advisers

Employer Contributions to DC Plan Accounts

2025
2024
Match
66.6%
57.0%
Fixed or profit-sharing
19.2%
18.0%
Both match and fixed
8.1%
9.0%
No employer contribution
3.9%
8.0%
Employer contribution suspended
1.0%
2.0%
Unsure
1.3%
6.0%

Contribution/Saving Rate

2025
2024
≤5.0%
39.2%
46.0%
5.1% – 7.0%
19.4%
17.0%
7.1% – 10.0%
21.5%
15.0%
>10.0%
17.7%
18.0%
Unsure
2.1%
4.0%

How Current Contribution or Saving Rate Was Determined

2025
2024
Accepted the default
39.7%
36.0%
Wanted to receive maximum employer contribution
30.3%
30.0%
Saved maximum allowable by law
9.7%
11.0%
Targeted a specific level of savings
9.3%
11.0%
Received advice from spouse, friend or adviser
4.8%
5.0%
Automatically increased to the current level
3.4%
3.0%
Unsure
2.8%
4.0%

Actions Taken to Retirement Savings Plan in Prior 12 Months

2025
2024
Increased deferral rate
36.4%
69.0%
Decreased deferral rate (but not to $0)
5.9%
11.0%
Changed investment allocation
15.1%
25.0%
Rebalanced account
13.3%
23.0%
Calculated retirement savings needs
13.5%
26.0%
Stopped contributing to the plan
5.2%
9.0%
No actions taken
10.5%
26.0%

Loans from Employer-Sponsored Plan/s in 2025

  • Have outstanding loans from current employer-sponsored retirement plans  23.5%
  • No loans from current plan  75.6%
  • Unsure  0.8%

Status of Loan Repayment in 2025

  • Currently repaying loans from current employer-sponsored retirement plan  83.7%
  • Not currently repaying loans from current plan  14.5%
  • Unsure  1.8%

Frequency of Formal Meetings With Adviser

  • Less than once per year  14.7%
  • Annually  27.9%
  • Twice per year  16.8%
  • Quarterly  24.0%
  • Only upon request  16.6%

Confidence That Adviser's Recommendation is 100% in Participant's Best Interest

Very confident
43.1%
Mostly confident
33.3%
Somewhat Confident
16.5%
Slightly Confident
5.1%
Not at all confident
2.1%

Use of Services From a Financial Adviser or Financial Planner

Works with a human financial adviser
66.0%
Works with a computer-based advisory service
6.9%
Does not work or plan to work with a financial adviser
9.4%
Does not currently work with a financial adviser, but plans to in the future
13.7%
Unsure
4.0%

Type of Access to Individualized Investment Advice (for DC Accounts) in Workplace Retirement Plan

One-on-one meetings with a financial planner/adviser
43.4%
Via a third party
19.6%
Using services/tools offered by recordkeeper
15.3%
No access to investment advice
14.0%
Unsure
7.8%