Video: MetLife's 2025 Enduring Retirement Model Study

Video Transcript:

On the heels of ERISA's 50th anniversary, MetLife's 2025 Enduring Retirement Model Study surveyed 255 plan sponsors at large companies, alongside in-depth interviews with industry consultants, record keepers, and experts.

What we discovered reveals both the enduring strength of employer commitments and the evolving challenges ahead.

The commitment remains unwavering. Eight in 10 plan sponsors say they cannot envision a time when their company would stop offering retirement benefits. They continue these programs to attract and retain talent, demonstrate long-term employee commitment, and enable workers to actually afford retirement.

But the landscape is shifting...

With traditional pensions declining, 92% of sponsors acknowledge greater reliance on defined contribution plans for retirement income. Recognizing this shift, nearly two thirds of companies already offer or plan to offer guaranteed retirement income solutions within five years because 93% of sponsors recognize that retirees need income they cannot outlive.

Employees are delaying retirement. 90% of sponsors report that employees delay retirement because they feel financially trapped, leading many to gradually transition rather than abruptly stop working.

Looking ahead, technology promises transformation. AI will enable predictive analytics for plan sponsors to estimate plan performance and identify potential challenges. While for plan participants, AI will enable more effective, personalized guidance, simplifying complex retirement decisions.

In the coming years, with macro economic forces, demographic changes, regulatory changes and technological advancements, the American workforce is expected to change demonstrably.

Regardless of those changes, workplace retirement benefits—the underpinning of a secure retirement—will endure.