Employees Embrace Bush’s New Savings Vehicles

If President Bush’s new retirement savings options make it through Congress, the majority of employees say they would use the new accounts, a recent survey finds.
Conducted by Strong Financial Corporation, 65.5% of savers said they would use Employer Retirement Savings Accounts (ERSAs), which look and feel like 401(k) plans. Nearly 58% would use the IRA-replacement Retirement Savings Accounts (RSAs), and some 71% would save through Lifetime Savings Accounts (LSAs).

Almost 60% of respondents said the new accounts would help them save more, yet the freedoms they permit lead 45% to worry about the temptation to use their savings for other purposes than retirement. Some 33% polled say the provision that allows withdrawals to be taken at any time without penalty is the most appealing feature of the new plans.

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Money Management Executive
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