NEED TO KNOW BLOG

The 2026 Retirement Confidence Survey from the Employee Benefit Research Institute and Greenwald Research offers a clear signal for employers, plan sponsors, and retirement plan advisors: Americans are still focused on retirement, but confidence is weakening, financial stress is interfering with savings, and workers are looking for more guidance, more clarity, and more dependable income solutions.

New data from PwC’s Employee Financial Wellness Survey reinforces a shift that many employers are already sensing: financial stress is no longer a peripheral issue.

While retirement pathways vary by profession, most individuals, whether in corporate, nonprofit, public service, or entrepreneurial roles, encounter a common set of financial milestones.

As retirement planning continues to evolve in 2026, plan sponsors, financial professionals, and participants alike are navigating a transformative environment shaped by regulatory implementation, innovative retirement-income solutions, and shifting participant expectations.

The IRS has finalized long-awaited regulations clarifying how “catch-up” contributions will work under the SECURE 2.0 Act, and what both plan sponsors and employees must do to stay on track by 2026.

Retirement confidence in the U.S. is slipping. According to Allianz’s 2025 Annual Retirement Study.

The recently passed One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) introduces sweeping tax changes, spending cuts, and economic shifts with far-reaching implications, especially for retirees.