SURVEY |

2026
Defined Benefit Administration Survey

The DB provider market and service trends

Reported by PLANSPONSOR | Art by Simone Virgini
Administrative System Snapshot
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Snapshot

Administrative System Snapshot



Technology Platform/s Used to Administer DB Plans*

Proprietary system
85.7%
FIS/SunGard – Omni
14.3%
LifeWorks, formerly Morneau Shepell – Ariel
14.3%
Lynchval – LVAdmin
14.3%
Other (please specify)
35.7%
*As many as applied could be checked.

Any DB Technologies Given a Major Update* in 2024 or 2025

DB plan participant website
90.0%
DB plan sponsor website
90.0%
DB administration system/software/platform
70.0%
*A “major update” modifies a substantial amount of the system to significantly alter/improve performance or usability, or it could materially add/expand capabilities, or it could do both. For comparison, Microsoft Windows 11 was a major update to Windows 10, but Windows 10.1 was not a major update to Windows 10.

DB Plans Now Electing to Send Statements vs. Notices

  • Plans sending participant notices
  • Plans sending DB plan statements

DB Plans Sending Statements/Notices, by Frequency

More than once per year
25.9%
Once per year
66.5%
Once every 2 years
0.0%
Once every 3 years
7.7%

DB Plans Sending Statements/Notices, by Delivery Method

  • U.S. Postal Service
  • Electronic delivery