Retirement National Study

There is no greater opportunity – or challenge – in retail financial services over the next decade than retirement. United States consumers hold retirement assets in excess of $16 trillion, over 4 times the size of consumer deposits, with a substantial proportion of those assets held by retirees and near-retirement baby-boomers. With such a robust opportunity, why then are banks losing so much ground to investment firms and brokerages? 

BAI Research and Mercatus LLC have explored just that in the landmark study, Competing in the Retirement-Dominated Future. The national study indicates that investment and brokerage firms are capturing a lion's share of retirement assets and 401(k) rollovers and are now focusing their attention on the most profitable of bank relationships—core deposits—by offering high-interest checking accounts and other traditional deposit and credit products.

These firms are expanding their core deposit business to prevent retirement-ready investment clients from moving their wealth back to a traditional bank for income distribution—and it may be working! In fact, the study shows that many consumers are now identifying an investment or brokerage firm as their primary bank.

About the study

The national study provides a fact-base and market sizing to enable specific investment decisions and isolate tactics for retirement.

Focused on the mass affluent market, the study consisted of:

• U.S. residents ages 35-70 with at least $50,000 in investable assets, excluding 401(k) assets
• Stratified by age, gender, region, and race
• 2,997 respondents

The National study is now for sale and the package includes:

• Executive summary: A 30-page summary of the key findings from the 2007 study
• National study: A comprehensive data-rich 100+-page report containing quantitative results from the study
• Storyline report: A comprehensive 120+-page narrative on the retirement marketplace.
• Data package: A complete data file (national results) from the 2007 study (in SPSS) and cross-tab reports (delivered in pdf format)

For more information on the study or to request a free informational Webcast, e-mail BAIResearch@bai.org, or call Ajay Nagarkatte at 312-683-2486 or Jack Thurston at 312-683-2335.