Mobile App Investments Pay Off as Fidelity Leads for Third Consecutive Year in Retirement Plan Digital Experience

New Corporate Insight Mobile Experience Retirement Plan Benchmark reveals TIAA's continued rise and broader industry focus on data and usability

NEW YORK, Jan. 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- While retirement plan providers have made strides in mobile app development, the industry's mobile landscape still shows signs of immaturity, according to Corporate Insight's latest DC Plan Participant Mobile Experience Benchmark. The report's evaluation of 17 leading retirement providers shows that no firm achieved the Leading tier threshold of 80 points, highlighting the industry's ongoing challenge to translate robust website capabilities into streamlined mobile experiences.

Fidelity retained its first-place position with a score of 79 out of 100—just one point shy of Leading tier status—marking the firm's third consecutive year at the top of mobile rankings, edging ahead of Empower (76) and TIAA (73). The competitive landscape remains tightly compressed, with seven firms clustered between 61 and 73 points, suggesting that mobile remains a wide-open battleground for competitive differentiation.

"The mobile app landscape tells a different story than what we see on websites," says Andrew Denegre, senior analyst at Corporate Insight. "While account monitoring and basic transactions have become table stakes, leading firms are still grappling with how to optimize sophisticated planning tools, comprehensive profile management, and multi-channel support for mobile platforms. Firms that deliver in these areas will drive measurable gains in participant satisfaction and engagement—and that's a powerful narrative for winning sponsor business."

TIAA Makes Dramatic Leap

The year's biggest gainer was TIAA, with an 8-point surge that propelled the firm from fifth to third place overall. The firm excels in areas where most competitors tend to falter, outpacing average scores related to usability and profile management by a wide margin.

"TIAA's approach to mobile investment interfaces shows what's possible when firms prioritize the platform," adds Denegre. "Their emphasis on strong UX and sophisticated tools helps distinguish the app from peers and contributes to a second consecutive year with strong momentum on this front."

Account Information and Design Emerge as Relative Strengths

Account Information posted the strongest performance with an average of 65 points, rising 3 points year-over-year as firms continue bringing mobile data displays closer to website parity. Thirteen firms improved their scores in this category, with notable gains from Vanguard (+16), Principal (+13), and TIAA (+3).

Design & Navigation remained the highest-scoring category at 68 points, though it was the only category to decline year-over-year. Six firms introduced significant home screen redesigns in 2025, but these efforts came with trade-offs—some providers sacrificed usability to accommodate expanded features and multi-product experiences.

Mobile-First Users Demand More

Corporate Insight's survey of over 1,500 retirement plan participants revealed high expectations for mobile functionality. Eighty-eight percent rated account balance information as "very" or "extremely" important, while 82% prioritized security settings and 78% wanted contribution rate management capabilities. However, many respondents noted frustrations with having to switch to websites for key tasks like designating beneficiaries, conducting investment research, and reviewing account activity.

"A growing share of participants see mobile as their primary channel for account management and expect apps to be full-service platforms, not a companion tool," notes Denegre. "Providers who don't adapt risk losing relevance, particularly with younger, mobile-native savers."

Methodology

Organizations included in the 2025 DC Plan Participant Mobile Experience Benchmark: Alight, American Funds PlanPremier, American Funds RecordkeeperDirect, Charles Schwab, Corebridge Financial, Empower, Equitable, Fidelity, Lincoln Financial, Merrill, Nationwide, Principal, T. Rowe Price, TIAA, Transamerica, Vanguard, and Voya Financial.

Access the Report

Purchase the full 2025 rankings and in-depth analysis shaping retirement mobile strategy at Corporate Insight. Media seeking detailed rankings, key findings, and analyst perspectives, contact our press team to learn more.

About Corporate Insight

Corporate Insight (CI) delivers competitive intelligence, user experience research and consulting services to the nation's leading financial services, insurance and healthcare organizations. As the recognized industry leader in customer experience research for over 30 years, our best-in-class research platform and unique approach of analyzing the actual customer experience help organizations advance their competitive position in the marketplace.

For more information about the benchmark report or to schedule an interview, please contact:

Patrick Flood
646-876-7535
[email protected]

SOURCE Corporate Insight