NAGDCA Conversations

A Closer Look at the Gender Gap in Public Sector Retirement Saving

New research from NAGDCA and EBRI’s Public Retirement Research Lab (PRRL) takes a closer look at how men and women save for retirement in public sector defined contribution plans. Despite controlling for age, salary, and tenure, meaningful differences remain—from contribution rates to investment choices. In this conversation, Matt Petersen is joined by Samita Thephasit and Craig Copeland to unpack the findings, explore what’s driving these trends, and discuss what plan sponsors can do to better support participant outcomes.

Mind the Confidence Gap: What the Latest Research Reveals About Retirement Readiness

In this Connect Conversation, Matt Petersen talks with Jeri Savage of MFS Investment Management about findings from the 2026 MFS DC Plan Sponsor Survey. Why are plan sponsors increasingly confident in retirement outcomes—while many participants, especially Gen X and Boomers, aren’t? Explore generational trends, competing financial priorities, and what drives higher confidence grades in the Workplace Retirement Readiness Indicator. Listen now for key insights for public sector DC plans.

Driving Participation Without Auto-Enrollment: BART’s Success Story

In this NAGDCA Connect Conversation, Matt Petersen speaks with leaders from Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) about how intentional plan design and effective communication can drive strong retirement outcomes. Winta Berhane, Manager of Benefits at BART, and Marcus Wu, Partner at Pillsbury and outside counsel to BART’s defined contribution plans, discuss how BART strategically uses its 457(b) and 401(a) plans to support employee savings-resulting in a 92% participation rate without auto-enrollment. The conversation explores lesser-known plan features, key compliance considerations, and practical approaches to educating a diverse workforce through strong partnerships and consistent outreach.

Measuring What Matters: Rethinking Plan Health in Public DC Plans

What does a “healthy” retirement plan actually look like in the public sector? In this episode of NAGDCA Conversations, Executive Director Matt Petersen talks with Nick Amaral, VP of Data, Analytics & Insights at Fidelity, about how plan sponsors can look beyond traditional benchmarks to evaluate performance, improve participant outcomes, and tailor their strategies to the unique structure of public plans. Nick shares how Fidelity’s Retirement Plan Health Score, financial wellness tools, and participant engagement analytics are helping plan sponsors redefine success in more holistic and meaningful ways.

Inflation & DC Plans

Inflation may have cooled for now, but uncertainty remains—and public sector plan sponsors are left wondering how to prepare. In this episode, NAGDCA’s Matt Petersen sits down with Kevin Kneafsey, Senior Investment Strategist, to discuss how inflation impacts DC plans and what sponsors can do to build more resilient investment menus. Learn why inflation is so hard to predict, why traditional “inflation-hedging” assets often fall short, and how portfolio design—not participant timing—is the key to long-term protection.