---
title: Pension Trends 2025
description: Explore maximizing employee retirement outcomes while minimizing costs with a free consultation
---

# Pension Trends 2025

Discover why cash balance plans have become the retirement plan of choice for large employers—and how market-based interest credits are shaping the future.

# Key Highlights

## 6/10

### Cash Balance Dominance

6 out of 10 U.S. defined benefit plans are now cash balance. For plans created since 2018, among large companies, that number soars to 9 out of 10.

## 600%

### Market Based Surge

Since 2018, market-based designs have skyrocketed from 1 in 10 plans to 6 in 10—quickly becoming the default choice for employers.

## 50%

### CFO Confidence

In 2025, half of large-company CFOs say they prefer market-based cash balance designs over any other retirement plan structure.

## Get the Full Report

Download the Pension Trends 2025 Report to explore the data, the drivers behind the shift, and what it means for the future of retirement planning.

## About October Three

Our mission is to help employees achieve better retirement outcomes with forward-thinking plans that meet employer needs. As a consulting firm and one-stop-shop, October Three has the administrators, actuaries and consultants to design programs and then administer them — leading clients through every step of the plan journey.

[ 📊Download the Report ](https://connect.octoberthree.com/pension-trends-2025#form)