Source: Modesto Bee
Automatic enrollment signed millions of American workers up for a retirement plan, creating a sense of progress that may not reflect the underlying numbers.
Vanguard’s How America Saves report, covering nearly five million workplace retirement accounts through 2025, suggests the picture is more complicated than the headlines imply.
Participation across Vanguard-administered plans reached a record 86% of eligible employees in 2025, with automatic enrollment driving that rate to 94%. The average total contribution rate also reached a record 12.1% of pay, combining worker deferrals and employer matching across those plans.