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Blog : DC Retirement | March 26, 2025

Beyond retirement: Our commitment to lifelong financial well-being

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Dina Caggiula
Head of Participant Experience, Vanguard Workplace Solutions
This is the second in an ongoing series: Well on Your Way® with Dina

As the head of Vanguard’s Participant Experience group, I’m focused on delivering a world-class experience for our nearly 5 million participants. I’m also a mom to a 9-year-old daughter and a 5-year-old son. When I think of my own financial well-being, my thoughts immediately turn to them. I want to do everything I can to ensure they have secure financial futures and can achieve their dreams.

From the beginning, my husband and I took steps to be as financially prepared as possible. With college costs on the rise, we opened a 529 college savings account when each child was born, and we contribute as much as we can. Doing so allows us to be proactive, take control, and do what we can now to be prepared for the future. It gives us peace of mind.

And that’s exactly what you want for your participants: confidence that they are making the right moves balancing daily financial concerns with saving for the future. With the right guidance, tools, and support, together, we can help give them that peace of mind. Ultimately, we can help them create a brighter, more secure future. 

Support no matter their age, stage, or concern

We know that finances are a top cause of stress. And if you asked participants to specify what those financial stressors are, you’ll get a range of competing priorities: There’s saving for retirement, but also saving for college, buying a house, planning a wedding, paying off debt, or planning for future health care expenses. Each of these goals is a step toward a brighter future. 
74 %
of U.S. employees want help when dealing with financial decisions or life events.¹
57 %
of U.S. employees say finances are the top cause of stress in their lives.¹

It’s no wonder 74% of U.S. employees want help when dealing with financial decisions or life events, and more than half—57%—say finances are the top cause of stress in their lives.1

At Vanguard, we’re focused on meeting employees where they are in their financial journeys. Our goal is to partner closely with you, our plan sponsors, to improve employee financial well-being to reduce their stress so they can be happy and productive. Recognizing the diverse needs of today’s workforce, we’ve designed an experience that addresses a wide range of financial goals and challenges with a program that is tailored to support your employees regardless of their age, career stage, or life situation.

Take control of your finances

Half of Americans carry credit card debt,2 which might explain why our Debt Paydown Strategy tool is one of the most popular tools participants use. Managing credit card and student debt is the first step in empowering participants to save. 

Debt Paydown Strategy tool. Our tool can help participants easily navigate this process by connecting all their financial accounts for a comprehensive view of their debts. They can explore different paydown strategies, see how much interest they can save, and estimate when they can be debt-free, empowering them to make the best choices for their financial health.

Student loan services. Student debt is also a factor that inhibits a participant’s ability to save for the future. Our student loan platform, powered by Candidly, helps participants navigate their debt with repayment strategies and refinancing tools like the Reassess tool. On average, Vanguard participants have saved $348 a month.3 This year, we’re adding to our services to include a student loan retirement match, allowing plan sponsors to make matching contributions to the retirement plan for participants repaying student loans. This could help participants stay on track with their retirement savings while also paying off their student debt.

Be ready for the unexpected

At Vanguard, we understand the importance of being financially prepared for unexpected events—and the impact it can have on participants’ financial well-being. Having $2,000 in emergency savings is associated with 21% higher financial well-being. In addition, having at least three to six months of expenses saved is associated with 13% higher financial well-being.4

Emergency Savings Calculator. Our AI-powered calculator provides personalized guidance to help participants prepare for life’s unexpected challenges. By inputting their income and monthly expenses, participants receive a tailored emergency savings goal, factoring in their geographic region and job industry for a more accurate prediction.

Vanguard Cash Plus Account. Once a participant has their emergency savings projection, they can take immediate action to set up an account with options that maximize their ability to save. The Cash Plus Account is one of those options that provides a competitive annual yield percentage, easy access to funds, no penalties on withdrawals or deposits, and no minimum balance requirements. They can also manage their Cash Plus Account alongside their retirement account and investments—all in one place—through a consolidated dashboard. 

Make progress toward goals

Once debt and emergency savings are squared away, Vanguard offers tools to help participants increase their savings and manage other goals. 

Retirement Savings Maximizer. Many participants who are close to or have hit the 402(g) limit often wonder what to do next. This tool guides them through a personalized savings hierarchy and tax strategy, optimizing savings beyond pre-tax dollars. It offers education and guidance on saving in IRAs, health savings accounts, pre-tax and Roth accounts, and after-tax contributions, ensuring that every dollar works efficiently toward their financial goals. In plans that offer this tool, participants who use it are 9.5 times more likely to increase their paycheck deduction as those who don't.3

College savings. For participants starting to save for their kids’ college education, we’ve integrated our 529 plan education and offerings into our financial wellness experience. This integration ensures that participants of participating plans can easily understand their options and start saving with confidence and ease.

Live well in retirement

Retirement isn’t the end—it’s the beginning of newfound freedom. But it doesn’t come without fear of what could happen. To help ease hearts and minds, we offer tools that can anticipate the expenses to come, based on a participant’s personal situation, especially health care costs.
Health Care Cost Estimator. Health care costs are one of retirement’s biggest unknowns. Partnering with Mercer, we developed a powerful tool that uses advanced technology to predict annual health care costs in retirement. Unlike most tools that use national averages and assumptions, our tool considers where participants live, their current health status, and other relevant details. Additionally, it helps them estimate the total lump sum they may need to cover long-term care expenses. 

No two participants are the same. That’s why we’re tailoring our financial wellness experience to the individual. Together, we have a unique opportunity to set each employee on a path to achieve financial well-being. As a result, we can help them achieve their dreams—and ease their stress in the process.

If you’re interested in offering any of these services to your participants or would like to see the tools in action, please don’t hesitate to reach out to your Vanguard representative. 

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Sources:

1 PwC Employee Financial Wellness Survey, 2023.
2 Bankrate survey, November, 2024.
3 As of December 31, 2024
4 Vanguard research, based on survey of 12,443 Vanguard investors, 2025.

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Notes:

  • All investing is subject to risk, including the possible loss of the money you invest.
  • Student loan debt services are provided by Candidly. Candidly is not affiliated with The Vanguard Group, Inc., Vanguard Marketing Corporation, or any of their affiliates.
  • The student loan debt services do not provide investment advice or recommendations but rather student loan debt management guidance and education.
  • The Vanguard Cash Plus Account is a brokerage account offered by Vanguard Brokerage Services, a division of Vanguard Marketing Corporation, member FINRA and SIPC. Under the Sweep Program, Eligible Balances swept to Program Banks are not securities: They are not covered by SIPC but are eligible for FDIC insurance, subject to applicable limits. Money market funds held in the account are not guaranteed or insured by the FDIC but are securities eligible for SIPC coverage. See the Vanguard Bank Sweep Products Terms of Use and Program Bank list for more information. 
  • For more information about any 529 college savings plan, contact the plan provider to obtain a Program Description, which includes investment objectives, risks, charges, expenses, and other information; read and consider it carefully before investing. If you are not a taxpayer of the state offering the plan, consider before investing whether your or the designated beneficiary's home state offers any state tax or other benefits that are only available for investments in such state's qualified tuition program. Vanguard Marketing Corporation serves as distributor for some 529 plans.