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
- Cerulli Lodestar
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
Associate Director
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Shawn O'Brien, CFA
Associate 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
Associate Analyst
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Elizabeth Chiffer
Associate Analyst
As an associate 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.
David Kennedy, CFP
Senior Analyst
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David Kennedy, CFP
Senior Analyst
David 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, David was a senior member of the financial planning group at Fiduciary Trust Company, where he advised clients on strategic retirement income planning, trust & estate planning, and other financial topics. Prior to that, David worked at Commonwealth Financial Group, where he held senior positions in the financial planning and executive benefits planning groups.
Full biography here.
David Swart
Associate Analyst
Bio →
David Swart
Associate Analyst
As an associate analyst on the Retirement team, David supports research on defined contribution (DC) and individual retirement account (IRA) markets and provides quantitative support to the annual reports.
Prior to joining Cerulli, David interned at Reach3 Insights, where he conducted market research for companies in the technology sector and completed a diligence project on the streaming service industry.
Full biography here.
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