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73% want retirement decision-making made simpler with 91% looking for in-plan guaranteed income options
- J.P. Morgan Asset Management today released its 2026 Defined Contribution (DC) Plan Participant Survey Findings, providing insights into how participants engage with their retirement plans across life stages given ongoing economic uncertainty. The findings highlight growing expectations, especially among younger generations, for more guidance and support in navigating retirement planning decisions, along with continued interest in ways to strengthen plan experiences and retirement outcomes over time. Published every other year, the survey is designed to provide financial professionals with a deeper understanding of how participants view their retirement plans and overall financial picture.
"This ongoing research is important for retirement planning conversations because it captures direct feedback from participants at every stage of the retirement journey," said Alyson Frost, Head of Retirement Insights at J.P. Morgan Asset Management. "Workplace plans matter to participants, and many still do not feel confident making the right decision on their own. They want retirement decision-making made simpler, and they welcome support from their plans in turning savings into retirement income."
New this year:
- Retired participants. Retired DC plan participants were surveyed to understand how they navigated their transitions into retirement and whether they wish they had done anything differently during their saving years. The largest share of participants (44%) expects to retire gradually by reducing how much they work over time, but only 12% of retirees report this as their actual transition experience.
- Social Security trends. The findings compare participant expectations for Social Security's role in covering retirement expenses and when they plan to claim benefits versus retirees' lived experiences. Only 35% believe their Social Security benefits will be enough to cover routine retirement expenses, steadily declining as participants move closer to retirement.
- Generational insights. The survey goes further than ever before in exploring generational differences in participant behaviors and what they want from their employer plans. 61% of Boomer respondents think their employer has a great deal or some responsibility to help them save for retirement, compared to 86% of Gen Z respondents.
Key insights from this year's research include:
- Make it easy. Most want retirement decision-making made simpler, and younger generations increasingly expect their plans to provide it. Seven in ten (73%) participants wish they could "push an easy button" and fully delegate their retirement planning and investing, up from 55% in 2016.
- Demand for retirement income solutions is climbing. 91% express interest in in-plan guaranteed retirement income solutions, and 75% of those surveyed would likely keep assets in-plan if it offered an income solution.
- Most participants know they are falling short. 59% of participants think they should be contributing more, and 63% of retirees wish they had contributed more while working. 53% of participants do not know how much they need to save to retire securely.
- Plan design features are resonating. 96% of participants who were defaulted into their plans and 97% who had their contributions automatically escalated report being satisfied.
- Plan leakage is closely tied to financial shocks. 45% of participants who take a loan do so to cover unexpected expenses or credit card debt. Participants without emergency savings are almost 70% more likely to have taken a plan loan or withdrawal.
"This year's survey results highlight opportunities to help more participants achieve the retirement they have earned. It is clear that many want more guidance on how to use their plans effectively. Continued advancements in plan design, savings tools, and both accumulation and decumulation solutions are helping to close this gap and enhance how participants think, act and engage with their retirement plans," said Meghan Conklin, Vice President, Retirement Insights at J.P. Morgan Asset Management.
For more information about the survey findings, please visit the DC Plan Participant Survey Findings dedicated website.
Methodology
In January 2026, we partnered with Greenwald Research, a market research firm based in Washington, D.C., to conduct an online survey of 1,716 DC plan participants. To qualify for the study, each respondent had to be employed full time at a for-profit organization with at least 50 employees, be at least 18 years old and have contributed to a 401(k) plan in the past 12 months.
An online survey was also conducted of 512 retired DC plan participants. To qualify for the study, each respondent had to consider themselves retired from their primary career/job and had contributed to their employer-sponsored retirement plan.
Survey results have been weighted by age, gender and household income to reflect the overall makeup of the general population of 401(k) plan participants. In a similarly sized, random sample survey of general population respondents, the margin of error (at the 95% confidence level) for the total population in this study would be plus or minus approximately 2.5 percentage points.
In a similarly sized, random sample survey of general population respondents, the margin of error (at the 95% confidence level) for the total participant population in this study would be plus or minus approximately 2.5 percentage points and it would be plus or minus approximately 4.4 percentage points for retired participants.
About J.P. Morgan Asset Management
J.P. Morgan Asset Management, with assets under management of $4 trillion (as of 9/30/2025), is a global leader in investment management. J.P. Morgan Asset Management's clients include institutions, retail investors and high net worth individuals in every major market throughout the world. J.P. Morgan Asset Management offers global investment management in equities, fixed income, real estate, hedge funds, private equity and liquidity. For more information, visit: www.jpmorgan.com/am.
About JPMorgan Chase & Co.
JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE: JPM) is a leading financial services firm based in the United States of America ("U.S."), with operations worldwide. JPMorgan Chase had $4.6 trillion in assets and $360 billion in stockholders' equity as of September 30, 2025. The Firm is a leader in investment banking, financial services for consumers and small businesses, commercial banking, financial transaction processing and asset management. Under the J.P. Morgan and Chase brands, the Firm serves millions of customers in the U.S., and many of the world's most prominent corporate, institutional and government clients globally. Information about JPMorgan Chase & Co. is available at www.jpmorganchase.com.
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SOURCE J.P. Morgan Asset Management
