Retirement Plans Content

ICI submitted a comment letter to the Department of Labor on its proposed rule on fiduciary duties in selecting designated investment alternatives.

Millions of Americans depend on 401(k) and other DC plans as their primary path to financial security, where investment choices play a critical role in outcomes. Because of this, the rules guiding how fiduciaries select plan investments are highly consequential. The DOL’s proposed rule would create a process-based, asset-neutral safe harbor to guide these investment decisions.

ICI submitted a letter of to the Department of Treasury and to the Internal Revenue Services with recommendations regarding retirement security issues for projects to be included on the 2026-2027 Priority Guidance Plan.

New research from the Employee Benefit Research Institute and ICI found that most participants who were fully invested in Target Date Funds at year-end 2016 remained fully invested over the six-year period studied. This pattern of retention reflects the staying power of Target Date Funds and offers a closer look at how participants use them over time.

ICI released a statement regarding President Trump’s executive order expanding workers’ access to retirement accounts.

ICI’s latest national survey on Americans’ views of 401(k) and other defined contribution plans shows just how central workplace retirement plan are to household financial security.

Workplace Retirement Plans Matter 47% of workplace retirement account owners say they probably would not save for retirement without a plan at work. 92% say payroll deduction makes it easier to save...

Making it easier to save Nearly half of DC plan account owners said they probably would not save for retirement without a workplace plan. That number is even higher for people in lower-income...

Americans want to preserve workplace retirement plans 87% of Americans oppose eliminating the tax advantages of DC accounts. 77% are confident that 401(k) and other employer-sponsored retirement plan...

This strong support is not limited to people who already have retirement accounts. Even among individuals whose households do not currently own a DC plan account or an individual retirement account...

Policymakers across Washington are focused on expanding access to private markets—particularly for retirement savers. The August 2025 Executive Order encouraging broader access to private market investments for 401(k) investors reflects a growing recognition that capital markets have evolved and that long-term investors should be able to participate more fully in that evolution.

Why This Matters for Retirement Savers If policymakers are serious about expanding private market access in defined contribution plans, open-end funds must be part of the solution. Open-end mutual...