Mutual funds remain the dominant vehicle in most DC plan menus, yet their performance relative to cost and risk benchmarks is frequently debated. Conducting a systematic analysis of fund performance within retirement portfolios, this paper evaluates whether both actively and passively managed options are delivering adequate value for participants.

In the United States, more than 33 million families provide care to children under the age of 18. Childcare costs often are unaffordable, as caregiving expenses can exceed 30% of a family’s income and are compounded by an upward trend of increasing costs over the past 10 years.1 Additionally, one in five caregivers reports significant financial distress due to unpaid bills, accumulated debt, and a diminished ability to save.

This paper examines lessons from current retirees' financial experiences to identify what today's workers and plan designers may be overlooking. It uses real-world retirement outcomes to highlight gaps in planning, savings behavior, and income management that future cohorts should address.

In late 2024, the RRC sought to better understand retirement income and distribution capabilities offered by major recordkeepers. The findings found a collective trend among recordkeepers of all sizes: the fundamental importance of plan sponsor demand in driving retirement income solution development. Other findings include the current availability of different in-plan guaranteed solutions, non-guaranteed solutions, and the fees landscape. The RRC will be releasing an appendix of additional in-depth findings in the future exclusively for RRC members.