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  • 2014
  • Chapter
  • Discoveries in the Economics of Aging

Who Uses the Roth 401(k), and How Do They Use It?

By: John Beshears, James J. Choi, David Laibson and Brigitte C. Madrian
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Abstract

Using administrative data from twelve companies that added a Roth 401(k) option between 2006 and 2010, we describe the characteristics of Roth contributions. Approximately one year after the Roth is introduced, 9% of 401(k) participants have positive Roth balances. Roth participation is more than twice as high among 401(k) participants who were hired after the Roth introduction than among 401(k) participants who were hired before the Roth introduction. In essence, once an employee joins a 401(k) she becomes passive/inattentive, thereby reducing the likelihood of reacting to the introduction of a new Roth option. Conditional on contributing to the Roth, 66% of employee contributions go to the Roth, and half of employees contribute to both the Roth and another 401(k) account, consistent with a tax diversification motive. Roth usage is decreasing in age, less likely among women, and only weakly correlated with salary and tenure once we control for other employee characteristics.

Keywords

Retirement; Investment Funds; United States

Citation

Beshears, John, James J. Choi, David Laibson, and Brigitte C. Madrian. "Who Uses the Roth 401(k), and How Do They Use It?" Chap. 12 in Discoveries in the Economics of Aging, edited by David A. Wise. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2014.
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About The Author

John Beshears

Negotiation, Organizations & Markets
→More Publications

More from the Authors

    • March 2025
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    Automatic Enrollment with a 12% Default Contribution Rate

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    • 2024
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    Smaller than We Thought? The Effect of Automatic Savings Policies

    By: James J. Choi, David Laibson, Jordan Cammarota, Richard Lombardo and John Beshears
More from the Authors
  • Optimal Illiquidity By: John Beshears, James J. Choi, Christopher Clayton, Christopher Harris, David Laibson and Brigitte C. Madrian
  • Automatic Enrollment with a 12% Default Contribution Rate By: John Beshears, Ruofei Guo, David Laibson, Brigitte C. Madrian and James J. Choi
  • Smaller than We Thought? The Effect of Automatic Savings Policies By: James J. Choi, David Laibson, Jordan Cammarota, Richard Lombardo and John Beshears
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