The 401(k) match lives on

Consumer Reports News: March 20, 2009 02:04 PM

Another upbeat economic sign (and we'll take all we can get): Most employers are continuing to match their workers' contributions to 401(k) plans, and some are even boosting the amount.

That's the word in a just-released survey from WorldatWork and the American Benefits Council. The survey, conducted in December, found that 74 percent of employers reported no change in their matching contributions and 15 percent had either increased the match or were thinking about it. On the negative side, 8 percent had put into effect, or were considering, a decrease, and 3 percent had eliminated the match entirely.

With any luck, this may mean we're seeing an end to the brief trend, reported here previously, of declining and disappearing matches.

—Greg Daugherty

Greg writes the "Retirement Guy" column each month in the Consumer Reports Money Adviser newsletter.