We’re leading 401(k) participants to water, but when it comes to 401(k) participant engagement, they’re still dying of thirst. Why? Ed Dressel helps us figure it out.
In this short interview from the 401(k) Summit in Las Vegas, John Sullivan of 401k Specialist speaks with Edward Dressel of Retirement Readiness Solutions (formerly Trust Builders Inc.). The discussion highlights a major issue in the retirement planning space: low participant engagement in 401(k) plans.
Dressel explains that traditional advisor meetings often focus on technical topics like fees, asset allocation, and fund selection—subjects that, while important, don’t resonate emotionally with participants. As a result, people leave meetings without real motivation or clarity on their retirement readiness.
To tackle this, Dressel’s organization emphasizes a more participant-centric approach—bringing personalized retirement education directly into the room rather than relying on web portals or follow-up tasks at home. The strategy focuses on answering the most meaningful question for participants: “Can I retire?”
By helping advisors guide participants through actionable steps, even small ones like increasing contributions gradually, they aim to create real behavioral change. Dressel emphasizes that even if someone can’t reach their goal overnight, they can still make progress over time.