A Major Retirement Disconnect: What Sponsors Miss About Participant Priorities

Today, we’re joined by Glenn Dial, Senior Retirement Strategist with American Century Investments.Dial explains some fascinating findings from “The Retirement Disconnect: What Sponsors Miss About Participant Priorities,” the firm’s 12th annual survey of retirement plan participants and sponsors, which can be found at americancentury.com.He covers retirement income, common misconceptions, and the always-important income replacement rate, among other high-profile topics.Source: 12th Annual American Century Retirement SurveyMethodology: The participant survey was conducted between June 3, 2025, and June 23, 2025.  The survey included 1,500 full-time workers between the ages of 25 and 70 saving through their employer’s retirement plan. The data were weighted to reflect key demographics (gender, income, and education) among all American private sector participants between 25 and 70.The sponsor survey was conducted between May 20, 2025, and June 16, 2025. Survey included 500 plan sponsor representatives holding a job title of Director or higher and having considerable influence when it comes to making decisions about their company’s retirement plan (either 401(k), 403(b), or 457 plans). The data were weighted to reflect the makeup of the total defined contribution population by plan asset size.Percentages in the tables and charts may not total 100 due to rounding and/or missing categories.Greenwald Research of Washington, D.C., completed data collection and analysis.This material has been prepared for educational purposes only. It is not intended to provide, and should not be relied upon for, investment, accounting, legal, or tax advice.Investment return and principal value of security investments will fluctuate. The value at the time of redemption may be more or less than the original cost. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.