Target-date funds continue to be 401(k) favorites

Target-date funds continue to be 401(k) favorites
Participants in their 20s have more than half their retirement plan assets in the funds, a study by ICI and EBRI shows.
MAY 09, 2022

Investing in target-date funds continues to be popular in 401(k) plans, especially among participants in their 20s, according to a study by the Investment Company Institute and the Employee Benefit Research Institute.

Younger plan participants had allocated 54.1% of their 401(k) assets to TDFs at the end of 2019, the study found, compared to an allocation of 28.8% among participants in their 60s. And 31.3% of 401(k) assets in the database overall were invested in target-date funds at year-end 2019, up from 26.6% at the end of 2018.

The study also showed that more workers are investing in equities, and linked that to the use of target-date funds.

“As 401(k) plan participants have increased their investment in target-date funds, their overall share of assets in equities has grown,” Craig Copeland, EBRI director of wealth benefits research, said in a statement.

About two-thirds of participants in their 20s had more than 80% of their 401(k) plan accounts invested in equities at the end of 2019, up from less than half of participants in their 20s at the end of 2007. Overall, almost 95% of 401(k) participants had at least some funds invested in equities at year-end 2019.

Only 5% of plan assets were invested in company stock at the end of 2019, down from 19% in 1999.

Latest News

Fintech bytes: Vestwell comes through for underserved savers with multilingual support
Fintech bytes: Vestwell comes through for underserved savers with multilingual support

MyVest and Vestmark have also unveiled strategic partnerships aimed at helping advisors and RIAs bring personalization to more clients.

UBS profit beats estimates as Ermotti sees brighter outlook
UBS profit beats estimates as Ermotti sees brighter outlook

Wealth management unit sees inflows of $23 billion.

Evercore to buy advisory firm Robey Warshaw for $196 million
Evercore to buy advisory firm Robey Warshaw for $196 million

Deal will give US investment bank a foothold in lucrative European market.

Gates and Buffett’s Giving Pledge is 15 years old, but many signatories are richer than ever
Gates and Buffett’s Giving Pledge is 15 years old, but many signatories are richer than ever

New report examines the impact that the initiative has had on philanthropy.

Americans stay the course on 401(k) savings despite inflation fears
Americans stay the course on 401(k) savings despite inflation fears

Few feel confident that they will meet their retirement goals.

SPONSORED How advisors can build for high-net-worth complexity

Orion's Tom Wilson on delivering coordinated, high-touch service in a world where returns alone no longer set you apart.

SPONSORED RILAs bring stability, growth during volatile markets

Barely a decade old, registered index-linked annuities have quickly surged in popularity, thanks to their unique blend of protection and growth potential—an appealing option for investors looking to chart a steadier course through today's choppy market waters, says Myles Lambert, Brighthouse Financial.