• Find your HR website
    • Australia
    • Germany
    • Hong Kong
    • Singapore
    • Thailand
    • United Kingdom
    • United States
Alight Get Started
Alight
  • Solutions

    What’s new Health Administration Solutions Wealth Administration Solutions Payroll Administration Engagement and Communications HCM and Financial Management
     

    What’s new

    Alight Worklife Alight Total Health Alight AMS as a Service

    To unlock and create growth

    Integrated solutions designed for enterprise-wide results. These offerings make the most of your investments in both technology and people.

    Health Administration |
    Employer Solutions

    Health Benefits Administration Healthcare Navigation Reimbursement Solutions Dependent Verification Services Compliance

    To better wellbeing

    Solutions to help employees and employers choose, use and manage their health benefits.

    Wealth Administration |
    Employer Solutions

    Defined Benefit Administration Defined Contribution Administration WealthSpark™ Managed Accounts & Advisory Self Directed Brokerage Pension De-riskingAlight Financial Path

    To build a future

    Solutions to help employees and employers choose, use and manage their wealth benefits.

    Payroll Administration |
    Employer Solutions

    Cloud HCM and Payroll Administration Global Payroll

    To keep spend in shape

    Solutions to administer, optimize and scale your payroll.

    Engagement and Communications |
    Employer Solutions

    Benefits Guidance Hyper-personalization Communications Consulting UPoint® and Digital Innovation Research

    To spark interest

    Solutions to create a more memorable employee experience.

    HCM and Financial Management |
    Professional Services

    HCM Cloud Advisory HCM Cloud Deployment HCM Application Management Services (AMS) Financial Cloud Advisory Financial Cloud Deployment Financial Application Management Services (AMS) Workday Adaptive Planning Implementation

    To keep things running smoothly

    Solutions to better manage your workforce from the cloud.

  • INSIGHTS

    Explore Insights Latest Insights
     
    Categories Topics Function

    CATEGORIES

    Health Wealth HR Financial Management HCM SEE ALL

    FEATURED INSIGHTS

    Finance is moving to the Cloud ...are you ready?

    Read More

    The Advantages for Health Saving Accounts (HSAs): Employees find balance between health and wealth

    Read More

    TOPICS

    Alight Research Benefits Administration Compliance, Legislation & Regulation Consumer Healthcare Education Customer Success Stories Dependent Verification Health Savings & Reimbursement Accounts Open Enrollment Payroll & Compensation Savings & Retirement Planning Workday
    SEE ALL

    FEATURED INSIGHTS

    Finance is moving to the Cloud ...are you ready?

    Read More

    The Advantages fo Health Saving Accounts (HSAs): Employees find balance between health and wealth

    Read More

    FUNCTION

    Human Resources Finance Information Technology SEE ALL

    FEATURED INSIGHTS

    Finance is moving to the Cloud ...are you ready?

    Read More

    The Advantages fo Health Saving Accounts (HSAs): Employees find balance between health and wealth

    Read More
  • EVENTS

    Explore Events

    FEATURED EVENTS

    Webinar
    Cloud transformation during disruption and change
    ON-DEMAND WEBINAR
    WATCH NOW
    Webinar
    Rethinking and activating your 2021 enrollment plan
    ON-DEMAND WEBINAR
    WATCH NOW
    Webinar
    Global payroll—now and up next
    ON-DEMAND WEBINAR
    WATCH NOW
  • WORK WITH US

     
    Our Markets Our Partnerships

    OUR MARKETS

    5K Employees Public Sector 5K - 10K Employees Brokers 10K+ Employees Europe APAC

    FEATURED CASE STUDIES

    Curtiss-Wright: Increasing utilization and satisfaction with an integrated benefits platform

    View Case Study

    Pathway Vet Alliance: Thriving in the cloud with Alight and Workday

    View Case Study

    OUR PARTNERSHIPS

    Workday SAP SuccessFactors Cornerstone OnDemand Oracle Alight Partner Network

    FEATURED CASE STUDIES

    Curtiss-Wright: Increasing utilization and satisfaction with an integrated benefits platform

    View Case Study

    Pathway Vet Alliance: Thriving in the cloud with Alight and Workday

    View Case Study
  • ABOUT US

    Our Story Leadership Team Newsroom Awards Careers

    FEATURED NEWS

    Alight’s new integrated digital solution makes managing finances easier for U.S. workers
    Read More
    Alight’s digital employee events platform provides rich, expansive user experience and optimizes engagement
    Read More
    Alight Solutions and Foley Trasimene Acquisition Corp. Announce Merger
    Read More
Find your HR website
Get started
  • Australia
  • Germany
  • Hong Kong
  • Singapore
  • Thailand
  • United Kingdom
  • United States
Home
Research & Insights
Alight Solutions 401(k) Index™: First Quarter 2021 Observations

Alight Solutions 401(k) Index™: First Quarter 2021 Observations

The first quarter of 2021 saw light trading in 401(k) plans, according to the Alight Solutions 401(k) IndexTM. The only day of above-normal1 activity occurred on January 6 when investors sold large U.S. equities amid events at the U.S. Capitol.
 

First quarter observations:

  • Total transfers as a percent of balances in Q1 2021 were 0.46%—the lowest quarterly level since Q3 2018. Last year, 1.59% of balances were traded as stocks tumbled in the first quarter.
  • Seventy percent of the trading days saw net trading money flowing from fixed income funds to equities.

Alight Solutions 401(k) Index™ statistics for Q1 2021 and year-to-date:

Index Statistics Q1 2021 2021 YTD
Net transfers as percentage of starting balance 0.46% 0.46%
# Fixed days 18 (30%) 18 (30%)
# Equity days 43 (70%) 43 (70%)
# Above-normal days 1 1
Asset classes with most trading inflows in Q1 2021
  Percentage of inflows Index dollar value ($ mil)
Small U.S. equity funds 29% $321
Mid U.S. equity funds 18% $198
Target date funds2 16% $181
Asset classes with most trading outflows in Q1 2021
  Percentage of outflows Index dollar value ($ mil)
Bond funds 31% $343
Large U.S. equity funds 30% $336
Company stock 28% $307
   
Returns for common indices
Q1 2021 2021 YTD
Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Index -1.25% -3.37%
S&P 500 Index 4.38% 6.17%
Russell 2000 Index 1.00% 12.70%
MSCI All Country World ex-U.S. Index (net) 1.26% 3.49%

Members of the media: please contact Landis Cullen for questions about the Alight Solutions 401(k) Index™.  Learn more about the Alight Solutions 401(k) Index™ here.

  1. A “normal” level of relative transfer activity is when the net daily movement of participants’ balances as a percent of total 401(k) balances within the Alight Solutions 401(k) Index™ equals between 0.3 times and 1.5 times the average daily net activity of the preceding 12 months. A “high” relative transfer activity day is when the net daily movement exceeds two times the average daily net activity. A “moderate” relative transfer activity day is when the net daily movement is between 1.5 and two times the average daily net activity of the preceding 12 months
Related Tags
Wealth Human Resources Alight Research Savings & Retirement Planning
Related Content
Article
Alight Solutions 401(k) Index™ →
Monthly and quarterly Alight Solutions 401(k) Index Reports
Wealth
Savings & Retirement Planning
Alight Research
Article
Alight Solutions 401(k) Index™: March 2021 Observations →
Amid a volatile but rising stock market, 401(k) investors were light traders and content to watch their balances rise in March, according to the Alight Solutions 401(k) Index.
Wealth
Savings & Retirement Planning
Alight Research
Article
About Alight Solutions 401k Index →
About Alight Solutions 401k Index
Wealth
Human Resources
Alight Research
2021 American Rescue Plan Act: Impact on employers →
On March 11th, 2021, President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 into law. This legislation is the latest aimed at offering relief from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Health
Wealth
US COVID-19

Resources

  • Talk to sales
  • Find your HR website
  • Careers
  • Legacy Resources

Connect with Us

  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • YouTube
  • Instagram

  • Office Directory
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
Alight

© 2021 Alight®. All rights reserved.