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Nudging Retirement Savings: A Field Experiment on Supplemental Plans

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Listed:
  • Robert L. Clark
  • Robert G. Hammond
  • Melinda Sandler Morrill
  • Christelle Khalaf

Abstract

Although supplemental saving plans can be an important part of an individual's financial security in retirement, contribution rates remain low, particularly among those with lower salaries and less education. We report findings from a field experiment that distributed an informational nudge containing information on key aspects of the employer-provided supplemental saving plans of older public employees in North Carolina. Among workers participating in a supplemental plan, individuals who received an informational nudge increased their contributions in the months following the intervention relative to the control group. Moreover, those that received the nudge reported in a subsequent survey that they were more likely to have developed a retirement plan and report more confidence in their retirement preparedness. In contrast, individuals who were not enrolled in a retirement saving plan were not moved to begin contributing to a supplemental plan.

Suggested Citation

  • Robert L. Clark & Robert G. Hammond & Melinda Sandler Morrill & Christelle Khalaf, 2017. "Nudging Retirement Savings: A Field Experiment on Supplemental Plans," NBER Working Papers 23679, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:23679
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Olckers, Matthew, 2021. "On track for retirement?," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 190(C), pages 76-88.
    2. Maya Haran Rosen & Orly Sade, 2022. "The Disparate Effect of Nudges on Minority Groups," The Review of Corporate Finance Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 11(3), pages 605-643.
    3. Maya Haran Rosen & Orly Sade, 2017. "Does Financial Regulation Unintentionally Ignore Less Privileged Populations? The Investigation of a Regulatory Fintech Advancement, Objective and Subjective Financial Literacy," Bank of Israel Working Papers 2017.10, Bank of Israel.
    4. Maude Toussaint‐Comeau, 2021. "Liquidity constraints and debts: Implications for the saving behavior of the middle class," Contemporary Economic Policy, Western Economic Association International, vol. 39(3), pages 479-493, July.
    5. Luisa R. Blanco & O. Kenrik Duru & Carol M. Mangione, 2020. "A Community-Based Randomized Controlled Trial of an Educational Intervention to Promote Retirement Saving Among Hispanics," Journal of Family and Economic Issues, Springer, vol. 41(2), pages 300-315, June.
    6. Christos I. Giannikos & Efstathia D. Korkou, 2023. "Gender and Risk-Taking in the Building of U.S. Retirement Wealth," Atlantic Economic Journal, Springer;International Atlantic Economic Society, vol. 51(4), pages 259-274, December.
    7. Gallego-Losada, Rocío & Montero-Navarro, Antonio & Rodríguez-Sánchez, José-Luis & González-Torres, Thais, 2022. "Retirement planning and financial literacy, at the crossroads. A bibliometric analysis," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 44(C).

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • J32 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - Nonwage Labor Costs and Benefits; Retirement Plans; Private Pensions

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