How do your retirement plan clients measure the success of their retirement plans? If they're like most plan sponsors, they measure success by participation levels.

In fact, three-quarters of respondents to The 2011 Principal Financial Group Retirement Readiness Survey believe they have a successful defined contribution plan, typically gauged by participation levels.[1]

There's a big difference, though, between a popular retirement plan and a successful retirement plan. After all, just because a retirement plan has high participation doesn't mean that participants are actually saving at levels that will help get them ready to retire. That's why we at The Principal believe true retirement plan success is measured by participants' ability to have a financially secure retirement—also known as retirement readiness.