In a world of competing content, clarity may be the most helpful sponsor value-add of all.
From social media and AI tools to financial professionals and workplace resources, defined contribution (DC) plan participants are drawing retirement insights from an expanding portfolio of sources, according to our latest survey. But more content doesn’t necessarily mean better outcomes. We think plan sponsors are well positioned to help participants cut through the noise.
Retirement Advice: More Voices, More Content, More Complexity
In a ubiquitous media world, participants are navigating an increasingly diverse range of information sources, often leaving them to filter what’s relevant, useful and trustworthy.
Advice from financial professionals remains central to participants’ broadening “information portfolio.” About half of participants rely on licensed advisors, according to AB’s 2026 Inside the Minds of Plan Participants survey. This suggests that the human touch still carries much weight in the self-help digital age. Spouses and partners are also big contributors: 85% of participants said they share retirement savings decisions with significant others.
As the financial advice ecosystem expands, participants are also turning to online communities, podcasts, social media and AI-powered tools. Rather than replacing traditional sources, these channels are being added to the mix, creating an increasingly complex retirement planning experience.
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Social Media and AI Are Reshaping Participant Education
Social media has become a convenient channel to explore financial concepts, research investing topics and stay current on economic trends. While 37% of survey respondents said they don’t use social media for retirement advice, 63% found it at least somewhat useful (Display). About 44% said it’s also where they get ideas too. Despite the traction, nearly half of participants remain unconvinced that advice found on social channels is reliable or valuable.
AI-powered tools are the latest addition to the retirement content landscape, delivering answers to financial questions in seconds and increasingly supporting financial platforms. But when participants were asked how it benefits them, they favored its educational capabilities over direct actions such as portfolio rebalancing (Display).
Both AI and social media offer clear advantages, but convenience doesn’t always provide context. Social media is often designed for broad audiences, not tailored to individual circumstances. AI can simplify complex topics but can’t always fully account for a participant’s personal goals, financial situation or risk tolerance.
Why Trust Still Matters in Retirement Advice
Trust remains a cornerstone of retirement planning, especially as speed and accessibility can sometimes come at the expense of accuracy. In our survey, only 36% of participants said they can find reliable financial advice that’s available on social media, and just 18% said they completely trust financial content on platforms like Facebook, X, Instagram, YouTube and TikTok.
In our view, this helps explain why sponsor-led financial education still plays a vital role in participants’ information portfolio. They often view employer-sponsored resources as credible, accessible and relevant to their individual retirement goals. In fact, 60% of participants said they rely on and trust the financial information provided through their workplace.
The Information-Driven Opportunity for Plan Sponsors
We don’t believe that finding quality financial guidance requires choosing between technology and human advice. The information portfolio has room for both. For plan sponsors, the opportunity lies in combining the strengths of each capability in ways that resonate with participants (Display).
Our survey results provide insight into how to refine the financial-advice mix. Participants who are more confident in AI-generated financial plans cite around-the-clock availability, objectivity and somewhat personalized recommendations as key benefits. Participants who favored human advisors pointed to qualities like understanding, empathy, judgment and relatability. In our view, this contrast highlights an important reality: Preferences are less about right and wrong, and more about individual comfort, expectations and trust.
We don’t think plan sponsors should try to compete with every source of financial content. Instead, they may add the most value by helping participants interpret the information they’re already receiving. That includes demonstrating how to evaluate financial content critically, how various sources complement one another and where broad concepts such as asset allocation, rebalancing, contribution levels and risks fit into their own retirement goals. As we see it, the most effective participant-education programs are defined by the most clarity, not the most content.
Today’s participants face a financial information landscape that’s broader, faster and more fragmented. As a result, we see the challenge shifting from access to interpretation. For DC plan sponsors, this creates an opportunity to help participants make sense of a growing information portfolio to transform information into knowledge—and action.
“Target date” in a fund’s name refers to the approximate year when a plan participant expects to retire and begin withdrawing from his or her account. Target-date funds gradually adjust their asset allocation, lowering risk as a participant nears retirement. Investments in target-date funds are not guaranteed against loss of principal at any time, and account values can be more or less than the original amount invested—including at the time of the fund’s target date. Also, investing in target-date funds does not guarantee sufficient income in retirement.
The views expressed herein do not constitute research, investment advice or trade recommendations, do not necessarily represent the views of all AB portfolio-management teams and are subject to change over time.
Jennifer DeLong is a Senior Vice President, Managing Director and Head of Defined Contribution, responsible for leading AB’s defined contribution business in North America.
Heather Balley is Managing Director of Participant Communications for AB's Defined Contribution business.
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