When discussing retirement security, investment performance and funding levels usually take center stage. At Abacus Intel, we know that accurate participant data is just as essential. Without it, plans may struggle to protect assets, reach participants, and deliver promised benefits efficiently.
Participants move, change jobs, retire, and experience other life changes. Each change presents pension administrators with the same challenge: keeping participant records accurate. When information becomes outdated, plans may lose contact with participants, leading to missed communication and delays in delivering the benefits they have earned.
The importance of those benefits should not be underestimated. Research summarized by the Alliance for Prosperity and a Secure Retirement found that guaranteed lifetime income represented approximately 43% of total income for Americans age 65 and older in 2022, down from just over half in the early 2000s.[1] As access to guaranteed income declines, public pensions remain an important source of financial stability for millions of workers and retirees.
Delivering those benefits depends on having reliable information behind them.
Abacus Intel helps pension plans strengthen participant records, identify potential data gaps, and reduce the manual work of administrators. Our mortality verification solution delivers U.S. mortality event data with 99% verified accuracy, while our location and beneficiary research services help plans find the people connected to their benefits.
How Data Gaps Affect Retirement Security
Pension administrators manage large participant populations while balancing limited resources, aging systems, and growing reporting and compliance responsibilities. Even a small number of unresolved records can create significant financial and operational challenges.
Outdated or incomplete records may contribute to:
– Continued payments following an unreported mortality event
– Delays in locating participants or beneficiaries
– Returned mail and missed communications
– Inaccurate participant counts and administrative records
– Difficulty documenting search efforts during an audit
These issues do more than create additional work for administrators. Participants have placed their trust in the retirement system and planned their futures around the benefits they have earned. Keeping their information accurate helps protect that trust and supports the timely delivery of benefits.
Data gaps can also affect a plan’s financial and operational health. Continued payments following an unidentified mortality event can reduce plan assets and require lengthy recovery efforts. At the same time, outdated contact or beneficiary information can prevent benefits from reaching the appropriate individuals.
Addressing Data Problems Earlier
Many plans wait until a participant applies for benefits to validate their information and resolve inconsistencies. Principal Financial Group notes that addressing inconsistencies before benefits begin may reduce administrative bottlenecks, limit manual work, and allow staff to focus on higher-value priorities.[2]
Abacus Intel helps plans take a more proactive approach. Rather than relying on a single database, our team cross-checks multiple trusted sources to identify mortality events, locate missing participants, and research beneficiaries. This comprehensive approach provides a clearer view of the participant population and helps administrators resolve potential issues sooner.
We also provide documented findings that support internal reviews and audit preparation. Plans can establish a regular review schedule, track unresolved cases through completion, and maintain a clear record of the research performed and actions taken.
With the right data partner, administrators can spend less time searching across disconnected sources and more time serving their participants.
A Stronger Foundation for Promised Benefits
Investment performance and funding policy will always be central to retirement security. But delivering on those promises also depends on a plan’s ability to maintain accurate records, protect plan assets, and get benefits to the right people at the right time.
Participant data may operate behind the scenes, but it supports nearly every part of effective pension administration. Addressing gaps earlier can help plans reduce administrative burdens, strengthen data integrity, and remain focused on what matters most: serving their participants.
Are your participant records up to date?
Abacus Intel helps pension plans strengthen their data through mortality verification, participant location, and beneficiary research. Contact us today at info@abacusintel.com or request a demo here.
Sources
[1] Alliance for Prosperity and a Secure Retirement, “New Data: Two Keys to Retirement Security,” July 16, 2026.
[2] Principal Financial Group, “Why Pension Data Quality May Be One of the Most Overlooked Drivers of Cost, Efficiency, and Risk,” June 24, 2026.
