Less is not more: 401(k) plan information and retirement planning choices.

This paper presents the results of a choice experiment that is designed to examine whether changing how plan information is presented affects planned retirement-savings behavior. The main hypothesis is that providing plan information in a more concise format with helpful recommendations, rather than providing lengthy and detailed information, will alter retirement-planning choices. The specific choices examined include: whether to enroll, how much to contribute, and how to structure (broadly) the asset allocation. The choice experiment is conducted on three different samples: (i) a Qualtrics panel of new employees, (ii) a Qualtrics panel of job seekers, and (iii) a sample of business-school students. Our results suggest that, controlling for demographic and other factors, our main hypothesis was not supported by the data in any of the samples. Thus, the data cast some doubt on the notion that simplifying and condensing the retirement-plan information presented to employees will result in vastly different retirement-planning choices.

The effect of time use and food cost on dietary quality.

OBJECTIVE: To develop a questionnaire to measure food nutrition, food expenditures and time spent in food-related activities; and to assess the association between diet quality, time spent in food-related activities and food expenditures using data from a pilot study. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. Multiple linear regression models were used to analyse participants' survey response behaviours and the relationship between food nutritional quality and time and money expenditures. SETTING: Online survey using Qualtrics software in a public university located in West Texas, USA. PARTICIPANTS: Faculty and staff aged 18 years and older from a public university located in West Texas, USA. RESULTS: Combining questions from three survey instruments that collect data on food nutrition, food expenditures and time spent in food-related activities resulted in a thirty-page survey instrument. The median completion time of the survey instrument was about 30 min. Preliminary results suggest that time and money expenditures are associated with food quality but that their role is small relative to sociodemographic characteristics such as race and gender. CONCLUSIONS: Time and money expenditures are associated with food quality but their role is small relative to sociodemographic characteristics such as race and gender.