Nearly 40% of retirement investors want a detailed income plan, Cerulli finds

Nearly 40% of respondents to Cerulli's 2026 U.S. defined contribution distribution report say they want a personalized, detailed, actionable plan to follow in retirement, according to a WealthManagement.com roundup published Oct. 8.

The figure comes from the 15th iteration of Cerulli's 401(k) Plan Participant Survey, which polled 1,740 retirement investors: 1,254 active working 401(k) account owners and 486 retirees.

Cerulli's conclusion is that investment product development alone will not close the gap. The industry must combine investment solutions with participant advice and planning, education for plan sponsors and intermediaries, and recordkeeper infrastructure, according to the report.

"Most pre-retirees are uncomfortable making key retirement income decisions without an advisor's help," Chris Bailey, director of the Retirement practice at Cerulli, said in a prepared statement. He said pre-retirees want guaranteed income and "a personalized, detailed plan they can follow in retirement."

Bento Engine separately launched a Model Context Protocol layer. It gives AI agents secure, real-time access to the company's compliant, multi-format content for wealth management firms, enterprise buyers, large RIAs and other fintechs, according to the company.

The layer is designed so firms can integrate Bento's content into agentic workflows while maintaining regulatory, content and brand standards, the company says. "Enterprise firms are moving fast in putting AI agents to work, and they need a way to feed those agents with quality, trusted, and compliant content," said Philipp Hecker, Bento Engine's chief executive officer.