How do default investment options influence the retirement outcomes of public sector employees—and what drives their financial decision-making? Join Dr. Zhikun Liu, Ph.D., CFP® (MissionSquare Research Institute) and Dr. David Blanchett, Ph.D., CFA, CFP® (PGIM DC Solutions) for an in-depth discussion of new research on participant behavior in public defined contribution plans. Drawing from a dataset of more than 340,000 new enrollees, this webinar examines how factors such as age, income, gender, and market conditions affect whether participants accept or opt out of default investments. The session will also explore findings from studies on retirement readiness and financial confidence across public sector roles and tenure levels.

Key topics will include:

• Patterns of default investment acceptance—and how they compare to the private sector
• Demographic and behavioral trends in public employee financial decision-making
• Factors that contribute to retirement confidence, including plan design, compensation, and access to financial education

Whether you’re designing retirement plans, advising employees, or setting policy, this research offers timely insights to support stronger retirement outcomes across the workforce.

This webinar is complimentary thanks to the sponsorship of ICMA Partner MissionSquare, who will have access to registration information.