What Participants Value From Their Managed Accounts Provider

The five core values that drive managed accounts adoption, engagement, and long-term value.

Long-term managed accounts engagement isn't driven by performance or fees. Morningstar Retirement's latest research, based on 30 in-depth participant interviews and a survey of 2,000 U.S. investors, identifies the five core values that determine whether participants engage with, trust, and remain enrolled in a managed accounts service.

The findings have direct implications for everyone in the retirement ecosystem. Plan advisors, plan sponsors, and recordkeepers each play a role in addressing these values. Most importantly, the plans that get it right can see meaningfully stronger retention and better participant outcomes. 

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This qualitative study was conducted with a targeted sample of participants to gain deeper insights into their retirement planning behaviors, attitudes, and responses to current communications and services. The results are based on self-reported data and reflect the perspectives of those interviewed during the study period. These findings are not statistically representative of the entire participant population and should be interpreted as exploratory insights to inform enhancements in messaging, educational content, and service delivery. The study was designed to complement quantitative research and is intended to guide strategic improvements rather than serve as definitive conclusions about all participants’ experiences.

This commentary is for informational purposes only. The information, data, analyses, and opinions presented herein do not constitute investment advice, are provided solely for informational purposes and therefore are not an offer to buy or sell a security. Please note that references to specific securities or other investment options within this piece should not be considered an offer (as defined by the Securities and Exchange Act) to purchase or sell that specific investment. The performance data shown represents past performance. Past performance does not guarantee future results. This commentary contains certain forward-looking statements. We use words such as “expects”, “anticipates”, “believes”, “estimates”, “forecasts”, and similar expressions to identify forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results to differ materially and/or substantially from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by those projected in the forward-looking statements for any reason.