Pooled Retirement Plans See Significant Adoption Growth

More employers are choosing pooled plans to streamline benefits, which can change how you access and manage your savings.

Updated on Oct. 21, 2026 in Retirement Planning

Isometric editorial illustration showing small individual blocks stacking into a single large, unified pillar, representing pooled financial retirement structures. — Transamerica is expanding its pooled retirement plan operations as adoption rates among U.S. employers climbed nearly 40% since 2021. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Transamerica has ramped up its investment in pooled retirement plans following a period of significant growth. Adopting employers increased by nearly 40% between 2021 and 2025 as more companies seek to streamline retirement benefits for their workers.

Why it matters

Pooled plans help employers reduce the administrative, fiduciary, and operational burdens associated with offering workplace retirement benefits. This strategy allows businesses to manage these costs more efficiently while expanding access to retirement savings for employees.

Pooled plan assets rose to $34.2 billion in 2025, up from $21.3 billion in 2021, a 61% increase. Over that same period, the number of employers adopting these plans grew by nearly 40%.

The players

Transamerica

A financial services provider that offers insurance, investment, and retirement products for households and employers.

The details

Transamerica is strengthening internal coordination across product, distribution, and client support teams to bolster its pooled plan business. By adding resources to support advisors and distribution partners, the company aims to simplify the process for employers looking to offer retirement benefits. These structural changes are designed to handle the growing adoption rate seen in the U.S. market over the last several years.

2021: Beginning of the reported growth period for pooled plan assets.
2025: End of the reported growth period for pooled plan assets.
2026: Transamerica ranked first in Pooled Employer Plan adoption.

Money Landscape

This growth aligns with the broader adoption of retirement structures enabled by the SECURE Act's provisions for Pooled Employer Plans. It marks a significant shift as more employers move toward consolidated plans to manage the increasing complexity of workplace savings.

Employees whose companies adopt pooled plans may find it easier to enroll in workplace savings programs with reduced administrative costs. If your employer is considering a change to its retirement plan, consult a financial professional to understand how new plan features could affect your long-term savings.

The takeaway

The rise in pooled retirement plans indicates a push for lower-cost benefits, which can benefit workers by simplifying participation. Check your annual plan disclosures or company benefits portal to see if your employer has introduced new plan features aimed at reducing management fees.