Publications
Publications
- 2022
Automating Short-Term Payroll Savings: Initial Evidence from a Large U.K. Experiment
By: Sarah Holmes Berk, John Beshears, James J. Choi and David Laibson
Abstract
Automatic enrollment is often used to increase retirement plan participation. Can it be used to increase short-term savings as well? We evaluate preliminary data from an experiment at a large U.K. employer. After years of offering opt-in short-term payroll savings via a credit union, the employer introduced opt-out savings for new hires beginning in November 2021. We review initial data from the experiment. In tenure month 4, we find that scheme participation was roughly 50 percentage points higher when new hires were automatically enrolled, and balances were £68 higher.
Keywords
Citation
Berk, Sarah Holmes, John Beshears, James J. Choi, and David Laibson. "Automating Short-Term Payroll Savings: Initial Evidence from a Large U.K. Experiment." Working Paper, July 2022.