Retirement Savings Account: Why Trust, Simplicity, and Access are Key

The statutory pension system, a simple pay-as-you-go scheme that has been increasingly overwhelmed for years, is struggling; younger generations are calling for new ways to secure their financial future in retirement. The federal government is now launching another reform: The planned retirement savings account is a government-subsidized model for private retirement planning. It enables long-term saving in the capital market—for example, through funds and ETFs—and is intended to make private retirement planning simpler, more cost-effective, and more transparent. As a potential successor to existing models, it combines tax incentives with greater flexibility and personalized planning.

However, whether such a retirement savings plan is actually taken up depends not solely on its financial or technical structure. For many people, retirement planning remains an abstract concept. Consequently, there is a significant need for guidance, clarity, and trust—both in the product itself and in the people behind it.

What Target Audiences Value

Market research, for example, reveals how different target audiences—such as Generation Z (born between 1997 and 2012)—perceive retirement savings accounts, what expectations they have of them—and where decision-making processes are likely to stall. Throughout the customer journey, analyses show where entry barriers exist, what information provides guidance—and how routines can be established to make usage easier.

To date, research on finance and retirement planning has identified priorities such as:

• Clear structures rather than complex financial jargon
• Trust in providers, rules, and regulatory frameworks
• Easy access and a sense of control and autonomy
• Confidence in the decision-making process—beyond mere return considerations

When it comes to long-term financial planning, trust is not just a nice-to-have—it’s a necessity. Products and brands that convey transparency, reliability, and a sense of connection create better conditions for customer acceptance and long-term loyalty.

Why GIM?

GIM helps financial service providers, institutions, and political stakeholders, among others, to analyze these decision-making mechanisms and address them specifically throughout the customer journey—using behavioral insights, analyses of category and brand logic, and user and impact measurement, among other tools. In this way, market and social research help tailor retirement planning offerings so that a basic willingness to plan for retirement translates into sustained retirement planning behavior.