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Determinants of Retirement Savings Decisions: Evidence from a 401(k) Plan
Serkan Karadas  1@  , Minhtam Schlosky  1@  
1 : University of Illinois Springfield

In this study, we survey employees who are participating in a service company's 401(k) retirement plan. The survey asks demographic as well as financial questions. We measure the variation in the savings rate (i.e., contribution rate) among the employees who participate in the plan and then examine the determinants of this variation. We find evidence that employees with less tenure at the firm and those who own the company stock have a lower contribution rate. Furthermore, we document higher contribution rates for the following: employees who have additional savings accounts such as IRAs and larger 401(k) balances, employees knowledgeable about the retirement benefits, employees who are confident about their investment choices, and those who frequently check their retirement accounts (weekly or monthly). By using employee-level data on financial decision-making, our study contributes to the literature on retirement planning and retirement savings decisions within the field of household finance. 


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