If employers really want to make sure their employees are financially prepared for retirement, there’s one strategy they should seriously consider when looking at their retirement plans: education.

That’s according to a study from radio finance host Dave Ramsey’s Ramsey Solutions, which found not only that employees with access to financial and retirement education have less stress, more savings and more confidence than those without access, but that age and income to a large extent predict whether an employer is providing that education to employees.

Half of boomers say their employers do not offer any educational resources on retirement, compared to 39 percent of Generation Xers and 33 percent of millennials.

Among low-income workers, 64 percent also say their employers provide no retirement education; the same is true for just 43 percent of middle-income workers and 29 percent of upper-income workers. And 40 percent of workers overall say their employers do not provide any type of retirement or financial education.

Money tells; the higher the retirement account balance, the more likely savers are to say that their employers provide retirement education. While seven out of 10 workers who have no retirement savings at all also do not have access to retirement education from their employers, nearly half (47 percent) of those who have saved $250,000-$999,999 say their employers are a source of retirement education.

So where are people getting retirement education?

While 35 percent do rely on their employers, 35 percent say parents, and 32 percent say family and friends put them in the know. But workers who listed their employers as a first or second source have more money saved than those who listed parents or family members as a top source — and 47 percent of those with zero retirement savings say their go-to teachers are family and friends. That’s not a great recommendation.

In addition, those with access to retirement education through their employers are more likely to experience positive emotions like excitement (49 percent) and optimism (40 percent); those who have no educational resources at work instead have higher levels of anxiety (47 percent) and fear (40 percent).

Instant Insights /

Employer retirement education boosts financial health: Dave Ramsey

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