A good article from Workforce magazine on “New Tactics to Boost 401(k) Interest.” The article mentions a new site devised by Starbucks called “Futureroast.com” which features interactive computer games to educate employees about investing and saving for retirement. (Unfortunately, you can’t play unless you are an employee of Starbucks.) The article describes the site as follows:
To encourage employees to sign up for its 401(k) plan, the Seattle-based Starbucks Coffee Co., which has more than 75,000 employees, at an average age of 28, started a program called Futureroast.com. The Web site features four interactive computer games that demonstrate key investment concepts, says Jo Clark, manager of the savings program. In the Voyager game, employees learn about the concept of a company match. Players maneuver a ship and try to bring on as much cargo as possible. Along the way, players encounter enticing purchases like CDs and movie tickets, and they have to choose between buying them or saving their cargo. The longer they stay in the game, the greater the match. Since Futureroast.com started last June, participation in the 401(k) plan has grown from 18 percent to 22 percent–a 23 percent increase.