Commentary

Some people who are facing dementia are still on the job.

Plan sponsors must ensure that their written plan documents are updated to conform with actual plan operation.

As seen during March's market decline, participants largely avoided sweeping changes despite heightened uncertainty. The April rebound shows that discipline carried forward as markets recovered.

From a plan design perspective, we believe sponsors should consider distribution options such as systematic withdrawals or partial distributions so participants can take ongoing or periodic distributions from the plan in retirement.

If we want different outcomes, we may need a different approach. What if benefits design did not just encourage healthier behavior, but directly paid for it?

The strongest candidates prefer packages that go beyond the basics.