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When it comes to planning for retirement, many participants may not have the time or the knowledge to get started or stay on track. Default funds are a great way to help participants who may not otherwise have investment expertise, but these solutions have traditionally been limited to a one-size-fits-all approach.

Enhance your plan with Dynamic Default

We know that participant needs may change as they get closer to retirement, and that's why we are taking default funds one step further to offer an innovative Dynamic Default feature paired with a lifetime income fund.

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Fund 1:
Young saver is defaulted to an investment positioned for growth opportunity

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Automatic transition:
Move from one default investment to another at a given age

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Fund 2:
Mature saver approaches retirement in an investment positioned for retirement-readiness

With this feature, participants can be defaulted into unique investments based on age. And as younger participants approach retirement, they can automatically transition to a more age-appropriate solution focused on retirement readiness.

Positioning participants for success

  1. Plans using auto‑escalation saw about 29% of participants receive automatic contribution increases, accounting for 45% of overall savings boosts.1
  2. Almost two-thirds of retirement plan participants who were considered “off-track” for retirement increased their saving rates after enrolling in a managed account2

When we help participants overcome indecision, we see success stories. And we know Plan Sponsors like you are concerned about delayed retirements3. Which is why we offer new features like Dynamic Default to help participants get on track – and stay on track.

Pairing defaults with pension-like income4

Nearly 9 in 10 participants wish their retirement plan offered a monthly source of income that would last for life.3

When considering the types of benefits you want to deliver through Dynamic Default, one option is to incorporate a target date fund that offers lifetime income protection. This approach can deliver the simplicity of an auto-solution, with income that lasts for life.

To add Dynamic Default to your plan, or to simply learn more, schedule an appointment.

Helpful resources

[1] "How America Saves 2025: Key trends and insights" Vanguard 2025
[2] "The Impact of Managed Accounts on Participant Savings and Investment Decisions" Morningstar 2025
[3] Nationwide Retirement Institute’s In-Plan Lifetime Income Survey, September 2025
[4] Pension-like means that Nationwide’s Protected Retirement income solutions are designed to provide an income. But these solutions are not traditional pensions. “Pension-like” means they may provide an income stream, not other pension features.

Provisions of these options may vary based on plan selection and/or by state regulation. These investment options may not be available in some states.

Guarantees are backed by the claims-paying ability of the issuing insurance company.