This document offers details on five topics that can play a key role in any retirement wellness program: Social Security, Medicare, long-term care, cognitive decline and spending in retirement. The section for each topic lays out eye-opening facts and related action steps for plan sponsors and those that provide services to them. At the end of the paper is a summary of all of the action steps and a resource list to learn more about the topics.

Workers earning low to moderate incomes (LMI) continue to face challenges in financial security. The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated the financial situation of many workers earning LMI. Along with the current macroeconomic environment, it has become even more challenging to build liquid savings for unexpected expenses. In this brief, we will share insights from our latest research with DCIIA Research Retirement Center on how employers and service providers can build and offer emergency savings solutions that are inclusively designed for workers earning LMI.

During the pandemic, the pace of retirement in the US accelerated. By the third quarter of 2021, 50.3% of adults age 55 and older were out of the workforce and in retirement, compared to 48.1% the previous year, according to the Pew Research Center. As this wave of Boomer retirements builds—and with Generation X not far behind—we see an increasing responsibility of defined contribution (DC) plans to help workers through accumulation and decumulation.

The DC plan system must evolve to meet the needs of this burgeoning demographic. DC plans are no longer just savings vehicles; they also are critical resources for participants who need long-term distribution planning. This paper provides a high-level framework that plan sponsors can use when introducing retirement tier solutions to nearly retired and retired participants to help them manage their assets throughout retirement.