Behavioral researchers have explored a variety of potential “nudges” designed to increase retirement savings. But selecting from among different approaches can be surprisingly difficult.
Retirement Plan Design
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How plan design affects savings and retirement decisions
Retirement plan design influences savings and retirement decisions. The TIAA Institute explores such issues as trends in plan design, the effect simplifying investment choices has on decision-making, plan fee fairness, and others.
TIAA Institute Reports
Original research produced by the TIAA Institute—both independently and in collaboration with noted scholars—examines topics of interest to the academic, nonprofit and public sectors. The reports combine statistical findings with thoughtful, data-driven observations and conclusions to provide in-depth analyses that are informative and appropriate for both technical and general audiences.
January 2021
The starting age for required minimum distributions from tax-qualified retirement plans was raised in 2019 from 70.5 to 72. How might this change affect household financial behavior?
December 2020
Recognizing households’ needs for flexibility, while discouraging overconsumption, how much liquidity should be built into a socially optimal savings system?
June 2020
Automatic enrollment has proven to be a powerful means of encouraging retirement plan participation in the private sector.
June 2020
Some adjuncts appear to be unaware of their eligibility to participate in a retirement savings plan at the college or university where they work.
June 2020
Retirement plans differ in whether employee or employer contributions are mandated, leaving a critical role for voluntary contributions.
February 2020
The growth of defined contribution retirement plans has brought new estate-planning challenges for participants.
June 2019
Most retirement plans let participants allocate their contributions among a menu of investment options – and this decision can have a substantial effect on a retirement portfolio’s ultimate value.
June 2019
Finance theory assumes that investors maximize risk-adjusted returns when choosing portfolios. In reality, some people are also influenced by irrelevant factors, such as cosmetic changes to investment fund names.