EBRI is a nonpartisan research institute that focuses on retirement and health issues. ICI is the national association of the American investment company industry. The data include demographic information, annual contributions, account balances, asset allocations, and loan balances. Updates for subsequent years will be provided as data become available. This allocation implies that over two-thirds of account balances are invested directly or indirectly in equity securities.
Asset allocation varies with age.
For example, the average share held in stocks through equity funds, company stock, and balanced funds declines from 76.8 percent for participants in their twenties to 53.2 percent for participants in their sixties. In contrast, fixed-income investments rise from 22.1 percent for participants in their twenties to 45.9 percent for participants in their sixties. Plans offering only the options of equity, bond, balanced, and money funds tend to have the highest allocations in equity funds. The addition of company stock to these options substantially reduces the allocation to equity funds. The addition of GICs to the four options lowers allocations to all other investment options, with the greatest effect on bond and money funds.