Win McNamee | Bloomberg | Getty Images
President Donald Trump applauds while delivering a State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2018.
President Donald Trump touted the strong performance of 401(k) accounts during his first State of the Union address.
The reality is that most Americans do not have one.
“The great news for Americans — 401(k) retirement pension and college savings accounts have gone through the roof,” Trump said, veering slightly from his prepared speech, in his 80-minute address Tuesday night.
Only about one-third of workers participate in a 401(k) plan, according to 2017 research from the U.S. Census Bureau. In fact, just 14 percent of all employers give a 401(k) or other defined contribution plan to their workers. Even at companies where they are offered, only 41 percent of employees contribute.