Background: In early June, the DCIIA/SPARK Public Policy Forum featured a data workshop to review current practitioner challenges with data privacy and sharing alongside new research findings from the DCIIA RRC and LIMRA. In last week’s Research Minute, we explored the increasing participant demand for financial wellness services as well as data sharing concerns. In this week’s Research Minute, we will examine more findings related to participant trust and data responsibility.Findings: 66% of surveyed participants trusted their employers as much as their primary banks and recordkeepers, but trust dropped to 19% for digital goods and services providers, including third-party fintech organizations offering financial wellness solutions, such as debt and student loan repayment and budgeting.Furthermore, the majority (75%) of participants surveyed reported that they believe that recordkeepers are legally responsible for the security of their personal information. Comparatively, only 50% of participants thought employers were liable.Bottom Line: Participants' lack of trust in digital goods and service providers impacts employer and recordkeeper agreements. Concerns primarily revolve around transparency in data sharing, as participants may be unaware of information shared with third-party providers. This lack of transparency risks eroding trust with employers and recordkeepers in the event of a data breach. Additionally, participants desire financial and health wellness support but lack trust in service providers offering such solutions. Bridging the trust gap between participants and service providers is crucial for meeting employee needs and achieving optimal outcomes.