DCIIA’s Retirement Research Board embarked on a series of initiatives to identify ways to create consensus definitions for varying auto features used within DC plans. The outcome of these projects is this series of auto feature definitions.

This paper seeks to offer a new perspective to plan sponsors who desire to implement or enhance automatic plan features in a defined contribution plan. Specifically, this paper highlights several potential benefits to the employer and profiles plan sponsors who have experienced these benefits. Additionally, DCIIA provides a roadmap for implementation that suggests strategies a plan sponsor may employ to implement automatic plan features over a multi-year period.

The results from an industry survey of 5,000 retirement plan participants confirm that plan leakage remains an issue that ultimately is undermining the critical public policy goal of preserving assets for retirement savings.

A DCIIA guide that outlines how plan sponsors can evaluate and implement retirement income solutions within defined contribution plans, focusing on helping participants convert savings into sustainable retirement income through a mix of guaranteed and non-guaranteed options, while addressing key risks, fiduciary responsibilities, operational considerations, and real-world case studies that demonstrate practical approaches to improving retirement security and outcomes.

This webinar explores how illiquid assets such as private equity, real estate, and hedge funds can be incorporated into defined contribution plans, covering their potential benefits for returns and diversification along with key fiduciary, legal, and operational considerations, as well as real-world implementation examples.