Consistent participation in 401(k) plans key to account balance growth, study finds

Consistent participation in 401(k) plans key to account balance growth, study finds
Those who kept contributing accumulated the most, according to the Investment Company Institute and the Employee Benefit Research Institute.
JUL 01, 2022

Retirement plan participants who consistently participated between 2010 and 2019 accumulated sizable 401(k) plan account balances, says a study by the Investment Company Institute (ICI) and the Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI).

The average 401(k) plan account balance for consistent participants rose each year from 2010 through year-end 2019, except for a slight decline in 2018, the two organizations said in a press release.

“Overall, the average account balance increased at a compound annual average growth rate of 15.6% from 2010 to 2019, rising from $58,658 to $216,690 at year-end 2019,” the two groups said. “The median 401(k) plan account balance for consistent participants increased at a compound annual average growth rate of 18.8% over the period, to $108,433 at year-end 2019.”

The growth in plan account balances for consistent participants generally exceeded the growth rate for all participants in the EBRI/ICI 401(k) database. By year-end 2019, 53% of the consistent participants had account balances of more than $100,000, compared with about one-fifth of plan participants in the entire database.

Covid has heightened attention to long-term care risk

Latest News

Mesirow acquires part of flexPATH in second retirement deal of 2026
Mesirow acquires part of flexPATH in second retirement deal of 2026

Chicago-based Mesirow Fiduciary Solutions adds flexPATH's plan-level outsourced fiduciary book, boosting its retirement market reach to $164 billion.

Advisor moves: LPL lands $350M veteran advisor duo in Florida
Advisor moves: LPL lands $350M veteran advisor duo in Florida

Also, Raymond James's employee advisor channel adds breakaways from Wells Fargo and Stifel, while UBS welcomes an ex-Morgan Stanley duo in Indiana.

SEC accuses crypto firm founder of running $425 million Ponzi scheme
SEC accuses crypto firm founder of running $425 million Ponzi scheme

It promised guaranteed principal and 10% monthly returns. The SEC says it invested nothing.

MassMutual Ascend tops $2 billion in RIA annuity sales as advisors warm to income products
MassMutual Ascend tops $2 billion in RIA annuity sales as advisors warm to income products

Ten years after entering the fee-based annuity market, MassMutual Ascend says nearly half its lifetime sales came in the past two years alone – but barriers remain among fee-only advisors.

Fintech bytes: Wealth tech firms target advisor productivity with new integrations
Fintech bytes: Wealth tech firms target advisor productivity with new integrations

Amplify, WealthReach, Zeplyn and Zocks have unveiled partnerships aimed at automating portfolio management, content creation, account opening, and client communication.

SPONSORED Direct indexing webinar targets tax-loss harvesting amid market swings

Northern Trust’s Ken Lassner shows advisors how to convert volatility into after-tax portfolio gains

SPONSORED Who builds the income when the pension disappears?

Dan Biagini of American Equity says the steady decline of pensions, longer lifespans and a reset in interest rates are rewriting how advisors build retirement income