The U.S. Retirement Market
U.S. Retirement
Analyze market dynamics and product distribution trends within the U.S. public and private defined contribution (DC), defined benefit (DB), and individual retirement account (IRA) markets.

Practice Detail
Analyze market dynamics and product distribution trends within the U.S. public and private defined contribution (DC), defined benefit (DB), and individual retirement account (IRA) markets. Areas of coverage include DC plan design, qualified default investment alternatives (QDIAs), retirement income, financial wellness, participant behavior, health savings accounts (HSAs), and retirement legislation and regulation. Research includes detailed sizing of the DC, DB, and IRA markets and leverages insights from proprietary surveys of retirement end-investors, defined contribution investment-only (DCIO) asset managers, target-date managers, collective investment trust (CIT) providers, recordkeepers, DC plan advisors, and plan sponsors.
Publications
- Annual report
- The Cerulli Edge
Our Experts
Meet the Team
Through granular data analysis and interviews with industry executives, they define retirement industry trends, test market assumptions, and deliver powerful market analysis. Gain the clarity you need to chart your strategic course with our retirement industry experts.

Shawn O'Brien, CFA
Director
Bio →

Shawn O'Brien, CFA
Director
Shawn leads the U.S. Retirement research practice, which focuses on the defined contribution (DC) and individual retirement account (IRA) markets. He also leads and supports strategic consulting projects for asset managers on their DC-related market entry and product distribution strategies.
Prior to joining Cerulli Associates, Shawn worked as a Research Associate at Harvard Business School, where he co-authored case studies on investment management for professional and personal investors and managing and innovating in financial services. Prior to that, he worked in the Currency Management group at State Street Global Markets, employing currency overlay strategies for large asset managers and asset owners.
Full biography here.

Elizabeth Chiffer
Analyst
Bio →

Elizabeth Chiffer
Analyst
As an analyst on the Retirement team, Elizabeth supports research on defined contribution and individual account markets and provides quantitative support to the annual reports and Cerulli Edge series.
Prior to joining Cerulli, Elizabeth was a research assistant at the Boston University School of Hospitality Administration, where she worked on papers pertaining to hospitality finance and technology.
Full biography here.

Idin Eftekhari
Senior Analyst
Bio →

Idin Eftekhari
Senior Analyst
Idin is a member of Cerulli’s Retirement research practice, which specializes in the defined contribution (DC) and individual retirement account (IRA) markets.
Prior to joining Cerulli, Idin was a senior member of the Portfolio Evaluation Group at Fisher Investments, where he was responsible for providing asset allocation and benchmark recommendations for high-net-worth clients in the US, Canada and the UK. During his 15+ year tenure at Fisher Investments, Idin served in multiple roles supporting the firm’s Private Client Group and Institutional Group.
Full biography here.
Participate
Engage in Our Research
Take part in the industry standard for research and consulting. Lend your perspective and receive the information your firm needs to capture market opportunity.
STRATEGIC CONSULTING AND CUSTOM RESEARCH
Cerulli Consulting
Understand where to allocate resources to achieve your objectives. We can help you determine which initiatives are likely to be successful and those that may not achieve the desired effect. In an increasingly competitive market, our objectivity and experience can help you to advance your firm’s unique strengths.