Target Date Funds and Portfolio Choice in 401(k) Plans

Center for Financial Studies Working Paper No. 661, 2021

44 Pages Posted: 3 Feb 2022

See all articles by Olivia S. Mitchell

Olivia S. Mitchell

University of Pennsylvania - The Wharton School, Pension Research Council; University of Pennsylvania - The Wharton School; National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

Stephen P. Utkus

University of Pennsylvania; Center for Financial Markets and Policy, Georgetown University

Multiple version iconThere are 3 versions of this paper

Date Written: May 1, 2021

Abstract

Target date funds in corporate retirement plans grew from $5B in 2000 to $734B in 2018, partly because federal regulation sanctioned these as default investments in automatic enrollment plans. We show that adopters delegated pension investment decisions to fund managers selected by plan sponsors. Including these funds in retirement saving menus raised equity shares, boosted bond exposures, curtailed cash/company stock holdings, and reduced idiosyncratic risk. The adoption of low-cost target date funds may enhance retirement wealth by as much as 50 percent over a 30-year horizon.

Keywords: automatic enrollment, pension, portfolio allocation, endorsement effect, default effect

JEL Classification: D12, D14, D91, G41, G51, J32

Suggested Citation

Mitchell, Olivia S. and Utkus, Stephen P., Target Date Funds and Portfolio Choice in 401(k) Plans (May 1, 2021). Center for Financial Studies Working Paper No. 661, 2021, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3965695 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3965695

Olivia S. Mitchell (Contact Author)

University of Pennsylvania - The Wharton School, Pension Research Council ( email )

3302 Steinberg Hall-Dietrich Hall
3620 Locust Walk
Philadelphia, PA 19104-6302
United States

University of Pennsylvania - The Wharton School ( email )

Philadelphia, PA 19104-6365
United States

National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

1050 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02138
United States

Stephen P. Utkus

University of Pennsylvania ( email )

3641 Locust Walk
Philadelphia, PA 19104-6365
United States

Center for Financial Markets and Policy, Georgetown University ( email )

Washington, DC 20057
United States

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