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  • 2024
  • Working Paper

Automating Short-Term Payroll Savings: Evidence from Two Large U.K. Experiments

By: Sarah Holmes Berk, James J. Choi, Jay Garg, John Beshears and David Laibson
  • Format:Print
  • | Language:English
  • | Pages:73
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Abstract

Automatic enrollment is often used to increase retirement savings. What are the effects of using it (or, alternatively, requiring an active enrollment choice) to increase short-term savings? We evaluate two experiments in the U.K. at employers that enable workers to set up payroll contributions to fund short-term savings accounts. In the first experiment (N = 7,404), employees at two firms were randomly assigned opt-in, opt-out, or active choice enrollment into the short-term savings program. Nine months later, participation was 48 percentage points higher under automatic enrollment than opt-in enrollment, and average balances were £114 higher. In the second experiment (N = 3,605), after years of offering opt-in payroll contributions to fund a short-term savings account, the employer changed to opt-out enrollment for new hires only. In tenure month 18, participation in the short-term savings program was 48 percentage points higher under automatic enrollment, and average balances were £193 higher.

Keywords

Retirement Savings; Participation; Automatic Enrollment; Retirement; Human Resources

Citation

Berk, Sarah Holmes, James J. Choi, Jay Garg, John Beshears, and David Laibson. "Automating Short-Term Payroll Savings: Evidence from Two Large U.K. Experiments." NBER Working Paper Series, No. 32581, June 2024.
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About The Author

John Beshears

Negotiation, Organizations & Markets
→More Publications

More from the Authors

    • March 2025
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    Optimal Illiquidity

    By: John Beshears, James J. Choi, Christopher Clayton, Christopher Harris, David Laibson and Brigitte C. Madrian
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    Automatic Enrollment with a 12% Default Contribution Rate

    By: John Beshears, Ruofei Guo, David Laibson, Brigitte C. Madrian and James J. Choi
    • 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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