Individuals who participate in company-sponsored retirement plans regard plan providers and their web sites as the most important source of information they use in managing their household investments.

Those participants surveyed by Spectrem Group indicate they are more likely to rely on plan providers and their web sites (22%) as a source of information than either their financial advisors (17%) or friends and family members (12%). 

Even less important to participants are other web sites, personal research, the financial media and other sources of information, each mentioned by 7% of those surveyed. Some 21% said no source of information is any more important than another.

Participants say they have their reasons for favoring a particular source of information. Most often a source is valued highly because it is easy to use (15%), provides the desired information (14%), is trustworthy (14%) or is knowledgeable (11%). Other times a source is considered important because it offers experience (6%), personal attention (4%) or availability (3%).

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