EBRI Survey on Retirement Savings: Match the Money!

Nearly three-fourths of workers participating in a retirement savings poll said that employers' matching contributions of up to 5 percent of their salaries would greatly influence their decision to join a savings plan at work. In its 15th annual Retirement Confidence Survey, the Employee Benefit Research Institute found that, in addition to matching employer funds, 65 percent of workers were more likely to join a company-sponsored retirement plan if the plan offered an investment option that automatically provided workers with a more conservative allocation as their retirement date approached, while 56 percent said that they would join up if the plan contained a provision that raised employee contributions by a fixed percentage when they received a pay raise. The annual study measures attitudes of workers and retirees toward saving, retirement planning and financial security. A majority of those polled admitted to being behind in their retirement savings, yet confident that they'll reach their savings goal by retirement. Some 69 percent indicated that they or their spouse had accrued some savings for retirement -- the survey's highest level in more than 10 years.