Workers Are Turning to Employers for Inflation Help

Jan 30, 2023

With inflation at its highest levels in more than four decades, it’s not surprising that nearly three in four American workers report they’re experiencing increased stress concerning their personal finances. According to a 2022 survey of more than 1,000 employees conducted by Voya, almost 90% of respondents say that inflation — including the rising cost of food, gas and housing — was their greatest concern.

As a result, many employees (70%), according to the research, are looking to optimize employer-provided benefits, including HSAs, health care, retirement savings, disability income, critical illness and accident insurance during open enrollment. Increasingly, American families are having to reconcile competing budget priorities as they attempt to deal with day-to-day financial challenges and simultaneously work to meet longer term retirement and emergency savings goals.

Inflationary pressures have hit lower income workers harder, with the majority of their paychecks often allocated to purchasing food and other basic household necessities. And with pandemic stimulus and child tax credit cushions gone, the financial impacts are being felt to an even greater degree. Unfortunately, even the benefit of higher wage growth during a tight labor market has largely been outpaced by the combined effects of rent increases and inflation.

In contrast, higher income households, with a greater proportion of disposable income, tend to apportion a higher percentage of their budgets toward retirement accounts, investment accounts and mortgage payments versus everyday expenses. Plus, their more substantial savings and increased home equity, bolstered by the recent run-up on home prices, has helped insulate them from rising costs at the grocery store and elsewhere.

A 2021 Schwab survey found that participants are seeking assistance from employers in the following areas when it comes to retirement planning:

  • Determining how much they need to retire (44%).
  • Deciding how to invest in their employer-sponsored retirement plan (39%).
  • Understanding how to generate retirement income (35%).
  • Anticipating retirement tax liabilities (35%).

High market volatility and retirement plan investment losses have further complicated retirement savings as participants have watched account balances diminish. Plan sponsors can provide education around mitigating investment risk as well as saving, budgeting, debt and retirement planning through their financial wellness programming. They might also consider offering lifetime income options in their investment lineup.

Supporting workers through this unprecedented post-pandemic period of historic inflation will require a multipronged strategy, bearing in mind the outsized impacts on lower income earners. That participants are turning to employers for guidance in maximizing their benefits and navigating financial difficulties is an encouraging sign — and one that plan sponsors should not take lightly.

Sources:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2022/02/13/low-income-high-inflation-inequality/

https://www.voya.com/news/2022/09/inflation-has-majority-working-americans-planning-spend-more-time-reviewing-their

https://pressroom.aboutschwab.com/press-releases/press-release/2021/Schwab-401k-Survey-Shows-Sharp-Increase-in-Confidence-and-Demand-for-Financial-Advice/default.aspx

https://www.marketwatch.com/story/inflation-is-keeping-some-workers-from-saving-for-retirement-11658806047

For more information, please contact Preston Englund at 402-461-4893 or .

Securities offered through IFP Securities, LLC, dba Independent Financial Partners (IFP), member FINRA/SIPC. Investment Advice offered through IFP Advisors, LLC, dba Independent Financial Partners (IFP), a Registered Investment Adviser. IFP and Ridgeline Advisors are not affiliated.

The information given herein is taken from sources that IFP Advisors, LLC, dba Independent Financial Partners (IFP), IFP Securities LLC, dba Independent Financial Partners (IFP), and its advisors believe to be reliable, but it is not guaranteed by us as to accuracy or completeness. This is for informational purposes only and in no event should be construed as an offer to sell or solicitation of an offer to buy any securities or products. Please consult your tax and/or legal advisor before implementing any tax and/or legal related strategies mentioned in this publication as IFP does not provide tax and/or legal advice. Opinions expressed are subject to change without notice and do not take into account the particular investment objectives, financial situation, or needs of individual investors. This report may not be reproduced, distributed, or published by any person for any purpose without IFP’s express prior written consent. Prepared by 3rd party.