84% of employers expect AI to improve decision-making including deferral modeling

DRESHER, Pa., Sept. 14, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Ascensus, the engine at the center of America’s savings ecosystem, today released its 2026 Newport/PLANSPONSOR NQDC Plan Trends Survey Report, revealing that employers are rethinking executive benefits as part of broader talent and financial wellness strategies amid growing financial complexity for highly compensated employees.

The survey found that more than 80% of plan sponsors consider NQDC plans effective in attracting and retaining executive talent, while 88% believe these plans help support executives’ long-term financial planning and retirement preparedness. The research also uncovered clear opportunities for AI to deliver more personalized decision support and financial tools, further enhancing the value of NQDC plans in supporting financial wellness. The full report can be viewed here.

First launched by Newport in 2012 and released biennially in partnership with PLANSPONSOR since 2020, the report is the retirement industry’s broadest and most comprehensive employer perspective on NQDC plans, providing insights and trends from among hundreds of the nation’s leading organizations.

Organizations are increasingly evaluating executive benefits as part of a broader talent strategy. While competitive compensation remains important, employers are also looking for ways to differentiate their overall benefits offering, strengthen retention, and support executives’ long-term financial planning objectives.

“Employers are looking beyond salary, bonus, and equity when competing for executive talent,” said Mike Dunn, President of Newport, an Ascensus company. “Our survey shows that organizations increasingly view executive financial confidence as a business investment. By helping leaders navigate complex retirement and financial planning decisions, NQDC plans can strengthen recruitment and retention while supporting long-term business success. When executives have confidence in their personal financial futures, they can remain focused on leading teams, driving results, and guiding organizations through change.”

A client example featured in the report further illustrates the role an NQDC plan can play in executive recruitment. In a recent senior-level search, an employer’s salary, bonus, and equity package helped advance it to the final round with a candidate, but the full benefits offering, including an NQDC plan with an attractive match and vesting schedule, helped close the deal. The example demonstrates how a well-designed NQDC plan can distinguish an employer’s overall compensation package when candidates are weighing otherwise competitive offers.

The findings reflect a broader evolution in how employers think about executive benefits.

• Talent attraction and retention remain the primary driver. Seventy-nine percent of employers cite attracting and retaining executives as a top reason for offering NQDC plans.
• Financial wellness is driving plan strategy. More than 80% of sponsors say NQDC plans effectively support attraction and retention alongside long-term financial wellness.
• Education remains the biggest opportunity. Forty-six percent of employers cite participant understanding as the top barrier to participation, underscoring the need for stronger communications and financial planning support.
• AI is emerging as a decision-support tool. Eighty-four percent of sponsors see AI improving deferral decision modeling, while 79% believe it can enhance distribution modeling and participant communications.
• Sponsors continue to value specialized expertise and participant outcomes. More than 90% of employers value providers with dedicated NQDC expertise, while 77% of sponsors reported that participants were satisfied with the impact of these plans on their retirement and broader financial planning preparedness.
• Corporate-owned life insurance (COLI) grew in popularity as a tool for plan financing. The use of COLI rose, with almost 50% of sponsors saying they used COLI as the primary financing vehicle to informally fund their NQDC plans as opposed to about 40% in 2024.

“As executive benefits continue to evolve, organizations are looking beyond plan offerings alone,” Dunn added. “The greatest value comes from combining thoughtful plan design, participant education, and modern technology to help executives make informed financial decisions.”

The fourth biennial Newport/PLANSPONSOR NQDC Trends Survey includes responses from 203 employers representing more than 45 industries and examines employer priorities, plan effectiveness, participant engagement, technology, and emerging trends shaping executive benefits.

The full 2026 Newport/PLANSPONSOR NQDC Plan Trends Survey Report is available here.

About Newport, an Ascensus company
Newport, an Ascensus company, enables companies—and the advisors who serve them—to attract, retain and reward leadership talent by designing and administering nonqualified deferred compensation (NQDC), retirement, and other executive benefit plans, as well as corporate- and bank-owned life insurance (COLI/BOLI) funding solutions that support plans’ asset-liability risk management and affordability. A market leader for over 40 years, Newport serves more than 25% of the Fortune 500 with its dedicated team of professionals.

Newport’s consulting practices, including special fiduciary services, compensation consulting, and fiduciary consulting, provide independent, objective advice and discretionary decision-making, tailored to protect the interests of and meet the needs of sponsoring companies and their participant employees. Newport is committed to investment objectivity, fee transparency, corporate and regulatory governance, competitive compensation, and flexible, responsive service.

About Ascensus
Ascensus is the engine at the center of America’s savings ecosystem. The company makes saving easier by bringing together intuitive technology, AI, and high-touch service to support better financial outcomes for savers, small- to mid-sized businesses, state governments, and leading corporations and financial institutions. Ascensus offers comprehensive qualified and nonqualified retirement plan solutions, third-party retirement plan administration, 529 education and ABLE savings program administration, corporate- and bank-owned life insurance solutions, as well as fiduciary and total rewards services. The company supports over 16 million savers¹ and oversees more than $1.3 trillion in assets under administration² as of August 3, 2026. For more information, visit ascensus.com.

^[1] Figure includes American Trust Retirement recordkeeping participants
^[2] Figure includes AmericanTCS AUA

Contact:
Greg Winter, SVP of Communications, Ascensus
gregory.winter@ascensus.com

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SOURCE Ascensus