What are the most persuasive messages about automatic enrollment?

March 10, 2010 in Blog posts | 12 comments

Automatic enrollment is an idea with broad support across various socioeconomic and political groups. Still, as anyone who has ever observed politics in action, widespread support is no guarantee of adoption. What messages about the benefits of automatic enrollment into a retirement account do people find most appealing? An AARP (Association of American Retired Persons) survey of adults conducted last year, prior to the Obama administration’s proposed nudges, offered respondents six potential reasons.

1) An automatic IRA is a way to help workers save for themselves with a transportable savings account.

2) The cost to all of us is more people don’t start saving for retirement.

3) The 50 million new American workers who will be encouraged to save.

4) Encouraging low-income workers to save.

5) The IRA is a simple and practical way to save.

6) Small businesses that can’t match employee contributions can still provide an attractive savings vehicle to their workers.

Of the options, a majority found the first two “very convincing.” The rest ranged from 33-47 percent.

The most persuasive message in support of the Auto IRA proposal focuses on the portability of the account and the idea that it “enables workers to help themselves.” Promoting personal responsibility is a persuasive message in support of the Auto IRA. Another strong message highlights the cost to all Americans in the future if we do not encourage people to save for retirement now.

The interesting takeaway for policymakers looking to construct popular financial savings legislation and then sell it to citizens is that the idea of automatic enrollment is complimented nicely by a separate idea that is still is part of the bigger theme of simplicity: Portability. What people appeared to tell this pollster was that they preferred the simplest of products: One account that goes with you to any job. Message to financial professionals: The 401k rollover process is cumbersome and annoying.

Again, automatic enrollment is popular whether these specific messages are attached to it. But if you’re looking to devise a law that people support today, and will result in a product they’re likely to support and use 10 years from now, portability should be part or your legislation.

Tags: ,

  • misterxroboto

    [Message to financial professionals: The 401k rollover process cumbersome and annoying.]

    Don't I know it! I counsel people on this for a living.

    However, the differences between a workplace plan and personal account (401(k) vs. IRA) are largely due to the federal government.

    A quick and dirty example: If you want to transfer your IRA at Edward Jones to your IRA at Charles Schwab, all you have to do is send Transfer of Assets paperwork from one trustee to the other.

    If you try to do the same thing with a 401(k) plan? It's automatically rejected. We have to either speak with the participant or (for real fun) process 401(k) specific paperwork. It's because a 401(k) is more of a hassle in general than an IRA.

    —

    On a completely different topic with regard to automatic enrollment, the invention of the lifecycle fund has been unbelievably helpful for the simplicity of investments.

    For background, a lifecycle fund is a fund of other funds. It has a blend of stocks, bonds, and short term investments in it, but you only have to keep track of one fund in your account.

    The beauty behind them is that they're age-based risk profiles. You tell us when you're looking to retire, we put you in the corresponding fund. The fund will automatically shift to be more conservative as you approach retirement, because your risk profile changes with age.

    Rather than having to manage your own portfolio, lifecycle funds allow you to maintain a hands-off approach to saving for your retirement.

    –

    As a financial synthesis, the ease of doing business is a huge factor for people to save for their retirements. a combination of the ease of a lifecycle fund and portability of an IRA make it that much better.

  • http://www.nudges.org/ Nudge blog

    If you could make a recommendation to the government about how to change the 401k rollover process, what would you say?

  • misterxroboto

    I'm going to take a bit of liberty, it requires a little background.

    Each time you take a distribution from a plan, you're required to receive the 402(f) special tax notice/411(a)11 distribution notice. This is only required for employer sponsored plans. These documents outline the tax consequences of taking money out from the account and options available.

    Rather than requiring that someone receive the technical terms associated, I'd love to see some relaxation around the rules.

    Know that you have at least 2 options (rollover or cash out). Know the tax differences (income + 10% penalty). Know you have 60 days to change your mind.

    Those 3 things are the bullet points behind a 9 page document outlining everything in explicit detail. Instead of requiring the full thing, I'd encourage the federal government to ensure those relevant points are covered.

    —

    From a nudging perspective for retirement? I'd love to see multiple vendors available for a 401(k) plan. Sour experiences with a single company and simultaneously having to do business with them as a term of your employment can make you want to save less. If I have an account at ACS, but dislike their customer service, I'd like to be free to switch to Hewitt.

    –

    If we could start with a blank page? I'd love to see the contribution limits change between the types of accounts. An employer sponsored plan allowing roughly 3 times as much money in your salary contributions as an individual account doesn't strike me as terribly wise. If portability is a concern, then we discourage people from taking advantage of workplace accounts.

    –

    I recognize this seems disjointed, but a lot of things go into the process for rolling over. Together, they add up to high transaction costs.

  • Nudge blog

    If you could make a recommendation to the government about how to change the 401k rollover process, what would you say?

  • Nudge blog

    If you could make a recommendation to the government about how to change the 401k rollover process, what would you say?

  • Nudge blog

    If you could make a recommendation to the government about how to change the 401k rollover process, what would you say?

  • Anonymous

    I’m going to take a bit of liberty, it requires a little background.nnEach time you take a distribution from a plan, you’re required to receive the 402(f) special tax notice/411(a)11 distribution notice. This is only required for employer sponsored plans. These documents outline the tax consequences of taking money out from the account and options available.nnRather than requiring that someone receive the technical terms associated, I’d love to see some relaxation around the rules.nnKnow that you have at least 2 options (rollover or cash out). Know the tax differences (income + 10% penalty). Know you have 60 days to change your mind.nnThose 3 things are the bullet points behind a 9 page document outlining everything in explicit detail. Instead of requiring the full thing, I’d encourage the federal government to ensure those relevant points are covered.nn—nnFrom a nudging perspective for retirement? I’d love to see multiple vendors available for a 401(k) plan. Sour experiences with a single company and simultaneously having to do business with them as a term of your employment can make you want to save less. If I have an account at ACS, but dislike their customer service, I’d like to be free to switch to Hewitt.nn–nnIf we could start with a blank page? I’d love to see the contribution limits change between the types of accounts. An employer sponsored plan allowing roughly 3 times as much money in your salary contributions as an individual account doesn’t strike me as terribly wise. If portability is a concern, then we discourage people from taking advantage of workplace accounts.nn–nnI recognize this seems disjointed, but a lot of things go into the process for rolling over. Together, they add up to high transaction costs.

  • Anonymous

    I’m going to take a bit of liberty, it requires a little background.nnEach time you take a distribution from a plan, you’re required to receive the 402(f) special tax notice/411(a)11 distribution notice. This is only required for employer sponsored plans. These documents outline the tax consequences of taking money out from the account and options available.nnRather than requiring that someone receive the technical terms associated, I’d love to see some relaxation around the rules.nnKnow that you have at least 2 options (rollover or cash out). Know the tax differences (income + 10% penalty). Know you have 60 days to change your mind.nnThose 3 things are the bullet points behind a 9 page document outlining everything in explicit detail. Instead of requiring the full thing, I’d encourage the federal government to ensure those relevant points are covered.nn—nnFrom a nudging perspective for retirement? I’d love to see multiple vendors available for a 401(k) plan. Sour experiences with a single company and simultaneously having to do business with them as a term of your employment can make you want to save less. If I have an account at ACS, but dislike their customer service, I’d like to be free to switch to Hewitt.nn–nnIf we could start with a blank page? I’d love to see the contribution limits change between the types of accounts. An employer sponsored plan allowing roughly 3 times as much money in your salary contributions as an individual account doesn’t strike me as terribly wise. If portability is a concern, then we discourage people from taking advantage of workplace accounts.nn–nnI recognize this seems disjointed, but a lot of things go into the process for rolling over. Together, they add up to high transaction costs.

  • Anonymous

    I’m going to take a bit of liberty, it requires a little background.nnEach time you take a distribution from a plan, you’re required to receive the 402(f) special tax notice/411(a)11 distribution notice. This is only required for employer sponsored plans. These documents outline the tax consequences of taking money out from the account and options available.nnRather than requiring that someone receive the technical terms associated, I’d love to see some relaxation around the rules.nnKnow that you have at least 2 options (rollover or cash out). Know the tax differences (income + 10% penalty). Know you have 60 days to change your mind.nnThose 3 things are the bullet points behind a 9 page document outlining everything in explicit detail. Instead of requiring the full thing, I’d encourage the federal government to ensure those relevant points are covered.nn—nnFrom a nudging perspective for retirement? I’d love to see multiple vendors available for a 401(k) plan. Sour experiences with a single company and simultaneously having to do business with them as a term of your employment can make you want to save less. If I have an account at ACS, but dislike their customer service, I’d like to be free to switch to Hewitt.nn–nnIf we could start with a blank page? I’d love to see the contribution limits change between the types of accounts. An employer sponsored plan allowing roughly 3 times as much money in your salary contributions as an individual account doesn’t strike me as terribly wise. If portability is a concern, then we discourage people from taking advantage of workplace accounts.nn–nnI recognize this seems disjointed, but a lot of things go into the process for rolling over. Together, they add up to high transaction costs.

  • http://www.salenewbalance.com new balance

    Well , the view of the passage is totally correct louis vuitton Jewelry ,your details is really reasonable and you guy give us valuable informative post, I totally agree the standpoint of upstairs. I often surfing on this forum when I m free and I find there are so much good information we can learn in this forum!

  • http://www.salenewbalance.com new balance

    Well , the view of the passage is totally correct louis vuitton Jewelry ,your details is really reasonable and you guy give us valuable informative post, I totally agree the standpoint of upstairs. I often surfing on this forum when I m free and I find there are so much good information we can learn in this forum!

  • http://www.salenewbalance.com new balance

    Well , the view of the passage is totally correct louis vuitton Jewelry ,your details is really reasonable and you guy give us valuable informative post, I totally agree the standpoint of upstairs. I often surfing on this forum when I m free and I find there are so much good information we can learn in this forum!