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Financial Planning
Retirement, education savings, Social Security, insurance, charitable giving and the other planning decisions families and plan participants face.
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Financial Planning, for whoever you are
Five topics run across everything MCF publishes: Company News, Investment Markets, Financial Planning, Tax Planning and Estate Planning. Narrow by who you are or by format, or search.
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ParticipantsFinancial Planning
AI Used Widely (Though Not Always Wisely) For Retirement Planning
Artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming an increasingly popular tool for retirement planning, with many Americans using it for budgeting, investing, and retirement savings guidance. While AI offers convenient financial education and planning support, users should verify…
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ParticipantsFinancial Planning
Benefits of Joining a Retirement Plan
Learn why your employer-sponsored retirement plan may be one of your most valuable benefits and how it can help you build long-term financial security.
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ParticipantsFinancial Planning
Knowledge Gap Drives Retirement Plan Nonparticipation
Automatic enrollment has helped increase participation in employer-sponsored retirement plans, but many employees still opt out due to a lack of understanding or concerns about affordability. Providing clear retirement plan education, enrollment support, and ongoing…
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ParticipantsFinancial Planning
Retirement Expectations vs. Reality: What Workers May be Getting Wrong
Many Americans have a clear vision of when they'll retire and how they'll fund life after work—but the reality often looks very different. According to the 2026 Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI) and Greenwald Research Retirement Confidence Survey, significant gaps…
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ParticipantsFinancial Planning
Retirement Plan Portability
Learn what retirement plan portability is and explore your options when changing jobs, including rollovers, IRAs, and employer plans. Discover how to avoid taxes and penalties, preserve your retirement savings, and make informed decisions that support your long-term financial…
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Plan SponsorsFinancial Planning
How Are Plan Sponsors Measuring Participant Success?
The ultimate proof of retirement plan participant success is in the results: whether the participant achieves a financially secure retirement. In the meantime, plan sponsors can look at a variety of metrics to help evaluate and track plan outcomes. The 2025 PLANSPONSOR Defined…
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ParticipantsFinancial Planning
401(k) Check-ins Can Help You Stay on Track
In many ways, saving through your employer-sponsored retirement plan has never been more convenient. Automatic enrollment, auto-escalating contributions, and target date funds can make saving feel almost effortless by quietly adjusting your contributions and investments over…
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ParticipantsFinancial Planning
The Advantages and Disadvantages of AI in Personal Finance
As the use of Artificial Intelligence becomes more prevalent in our digital age, it is important to consider and evaluate the benefits and risks of relying on AI when it comes to making personal financial decisions. AI can be a great tool when it comes to efficiency, education…
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Plan SponsorsFinancial Planning
The Unique Retirement Planning Considerations of “Single Savers”
It’s been widely reported that the marriage rate among Americans has declined sharply in recent decades. According to the Census Bureau, 60.8% of households were headed by married couples in 1980. By 2024, that figure had fallen to 47.1%.
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ParticipantsFinancial Planning
Sticky Saving Goals to Suit Your Personality
The start of a new year is a natural time to set fresh financial resolutions, but unfortunately most don’t last past February. One reason may be that our money goals often don’t align with the way we naturally think or how we stay motivated once the initial enthusiasm fades. A…
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ParticipantsFinancial Planning
How to Fit Your Student Loan Payments Back in Your Budget
After a multi-year pause during the pandemic, federal student loan payments resumed in October 2023. For many borrowers, this meant reintroducing a significant monthly expense. Even a few years later, those payments may still be putting pressure on your budget. Here are some…
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Plan SponsorsFinancial Planning
Savings Inertia: Moving Beyond the Default
New research has revealed some telling patterns in employee retirement plan contribution rates. According to PLANSPONSOR’s 2025 Participant Survey, nearly 4 in 10 participants said that when choosing their rate they simply stayed with the plan’s default setting. What this means…
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ParticipantsFinancial Planning
You Can Now Save More in Your 401(k). See Why That Matters
Most people don’t look forward to annual IRS announcements the same way they do the next season of their favorite Netflix show, but this one’s worth a look. Higher retirement plan contribution limits have been announced for 2026, and even a modest bump in your savings rate can…
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ParticipantsFinancial Planning
The Retirement Summit: Reaching the Top with Small Increases
Saving for retirement doesn’t have to mean big sacrifices today. In fact, the real magic comes from small, steady increases over time. Think of it like climbing a mountain, you don’t leap to the summit; you take one step at a time. By gradually raising your contribution rate…
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Plan SponsorsFinancial Planning
Advisor Support is Key to Driving Confidence and Outcomes Among Younger Participants
Access to an advisor tends to improve retirement confidence, according to a recent survey by the Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI). The Retirement Confidence Survey found that 83% of workers with advisory access feel confident about retirement readiness, compared with…
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ParticipantsFinancial Planning
Six Retirement Plan Benefits You Might Not Know About
When you think of the benefits of your retirement plan, tax-deferred savings and matching contributions are probably top of mind. But there’s more to your workplace retirement plan than meets the eye. Beyond the basics, retirement plans can come with a number of lesser-known…
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ParticipantsFinancial Planning
Creating a Savings Budget that works for you?
Setting and maintaining a personal budget has never been more important. With inflation driving up the cost of housing, groceries, and everyday essentials, many households are finding it harder to maintain the lifestyle they once had. A realistic budget helps you stay in…
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ParticipantsFinancial Planning
Staying Financially Grounded This Season
As the year winds down, it’s easy for spending to ramp up. From travel and celebrations to those endless online deals that pop up in your feed. But even small splurges can add up fast. According to a recent survey by Achieve and Talker Research, 65% of Americans say they are…
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ParticipantsFinancial Planning
How Long Will Your Money Last?
With all the advanced technology, calculators, and strategy tools available, it is still often difficult to understand the difference between what you can save for retirement and what is needed to retire. It is not an exact science, and it comes with many variables at play –…
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Plan SponsorsFinancial Planning
Moving Target Dates: Delayed Retirement Realities
For many American workers over 50, retirement timelines have become a moving target, with increasing numbers now planning to stay employed longer due to economic volatility, market uncertainty, and the rising cost of living. Gen Xers, now in their mid-to-late 40s, 50s, and…
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ParticipantsFinancial Planning
Road to Retirement
Before You Take a Retirement Plan Loan Know the Facts Your retirement plan may allow you to borrow from your account—but before you do, it’s important to understand how it can impact your future savings. Think of it like a U-turn on your savings highway. It could cost you more…
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ParticipantsFinancial Planning
Talking Money With Your Aging Parents
There’s a good chance you will have to get involved with your parents’ finances as they age. One in four adults say their parents rely on them for financial support.1 Your parents might need help managing their money or could rely on you for financial support if their…
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Plan SponsorsFinancial Planning
Rising Markets Don’t Lift All Participants
Markets have been flirting with record highs on a regular basis, but not all employees are riding the wave toward retirement readiness. According to Vanguard’s How America Saves 2025, participation and/or balances still lag for low-income workers, young employees, women, and…
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ParticipantsFinancial Planning
Retirement May Be Your Next Adventure
Retirement could often be seen as the “end of the road,” but that idea may not fit everyone. Your retirement could be a new chapter rather than a closing one. While some may choose to move into semi-retirement, mixing part-time work with more free time for their family…
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