Retirement decisions rarely revisited

Workers rarely revisit retirement decisions—until circumstances push them to

Active vs passive retirement management behavior across different groupsPercentage of respondents

Active: I actively review and adjust my retirement plan and contributionsPassive: I made initial choices but rarely review or change themNone: I have never made changes

Overall

All respondents in sports, media and entertainment

25%71%

Sub-samples

Those who have used emergency savings to cover health or caregiving expenses

20%77%

Those who feel “well equipped” to make financial decisions about retirement

22%74%

Those who have accessed hardship withdrawals or loans from a retirement account

34%60%7%

Those who have delayed their retirement

37%54%10%

Source: Economist Enterprise 2025 Benefits 2.0 survey

Most workers in sports, media and entertainment are passive about retirement, according to the latest Benefits 2.0 survey, conducted by Economist Enterprise and supported by Nuveen. More than seven in ten (71%) rarely review or adjust their plans, compared with 61% in other sectors. Confidence doesn’t change this. Even among those who feel well equipped to make financial decisions about retirement, 74% still rarely revisit their plans.

Engagement appears to be reactive rather than proactive. The share who actively manage their plans rises after major shocks, reaching 37% among those who have delayed their retirement and 34% among those who have accessed hardship withdrawals or loans. At the same time, not all financial strain drives engagement. Only 20% of those dipping into emergency savings actively manage their plans.

Confidence and inertia may be masking risk—highlighting the need for benefit tools that actively prompt and support timely decision-making.

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Disclosure statement:

Nuveen and Economist Enterprise, or any of their affiliates or subsidiaries are not affiliated with or in any way related to each other. The research was independently developed by Economist Enterprise and is sponsored by Nuveen, LLC.

This material is for informational and educational purposes only as of the date of production/writing and may change without notice at any time based on numerous factors, such as market, economic or other conditions, legal and regulatory developments, additional risks and uncertainties and may not come to pass. All information has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable. There is no representation or warranty (express or implied) as to the current accuracy, reliability or completeness of, nor liability for, decisions based on such information, and it should not be relied on as such.

Any guarantees are backed by the claims-paying ability of the issuing company.

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