Since the inception of our partnership, the Retirement Research Center (RRC) has navigated a rapidly evolving economic and political landscape, continuously adapting to shifts in policy, market dynamics, and participant needs.

Using Monte Carlo simulations across multiple investor profiles and asset allocation strategies, we can see inflation erodes purchasing power and impacts the likelihood of meeting financial goals . Higher-risk portfolios, longer time horizons, and net saver status improve resilience to inflation shocks, with low-risk portfolios seeing success rates fall dramatically, such as dropping from around 70% to just 2% in severe inflation scenarios.

This report documents the continued growth of Collective Investment Trusts within the defined contribution market, drawing on industry data and participant perspectives. It contextualizes the CIT adoption trend within broader shifts in plan design and fee pressure.

This paper details the findings of a targeted survey that was fielded in late 2024 along with qualitative interviews. A total of 95 industry professionals participated to represent a broad cross-section of the DC ecosystem: consultants, advisors, investment managers, recordkeepers, trustees and other related roles. The goal was to gather insights on the key benefits, obstacles, usage, and expected innovations around CITs.

March 2025: The RRC gathered in Newport Beach, CA for a Summit geared towards innovation, featuring topics across core menu design and asset class strategies, implicit Rothification effects, Social Security integration, impacts of extreme weather, and ret

March 2025: The RRC gathered in Newport Beach, CA for a Summit geared towards innovation, featuring topics across core menu design and asset class strategies, implicit Rothification effects, Social Security integration, impacts of extreme weather, and ret

The underlying raw data file from the Design Matters pulse survey, intended for researchers and analysts who want to conduct their own exploration of the survey findings. It supports deeper quantitative analysis beyond what is presented in the published report.

This publication explores how thinking around DC investment menu design has changed over time, covering shifts in philosophy, structure, and participant-centered approaches. It makes the case that intentional menu construction is a meaningful driver of participant outcomes.

The DCIIA Retirement Research Center (RRC) explored the perspectives of industry practitioners on the effectiveness of current investment menus in meeting evolving workforce needs. The findings are from a pulse survey intended to highlight key industry insights and trends around streamlining investment menus for participants while achieving core objectives for participants and employers alike.