Small business retirement planning significantly shifted in 2025. Retirement plans, which were once viewed as a secondary benefit, became a core part of how employers compete, comply, and grow.  

Between evolving workforce expectations, mandates, and more, it’s easy to see why retirement planning has moved to the center of business strategy. And while the landscape has grown more complex, what also became clear is the abundance of opportunities employers have for getting retirement right —when they have the right resources at their disposal.  

As Ubiquity, we saw this shift firsthand, and we’re breaking down what defined retirement in 2025, and how we’ve helped employers get ahead for 2026 and beyond.  

Retirement Benefits Aren’t Optional — They’re Standard

Whether through the lens of an employee or employer, retirement plans have become a priority on both sides of the workplace, building resiliency and redefining growth.

State Mandates are Accelerating

State mandates have expanded across most of the U.S., including key states like CA, MN, DE, and VT. While mandates are driving adoption, employers want flexibility, higher contribution limits, simpler compliance, and more control that state IRAs can’t offer.

How Businesses Maximized Plan Design

A Growing Concern: Retirement Readiness

This year, many employers struggled to keep up with growing retirement plan rules and requirements, which showed a clear gap between their good intentions and the actions they’re taking.

What does this signal? Employers need more hands-on support and education so retirement benefits can fully meet their needs, and it’s crucial that they get both now.

Industry Patterns That Stood Out

We found that certain industries leaned into retirement planning faster than others:

Payroll Flexibility is Now a Differentiator

Closed payroll ecosystems have caused headaches and made employers push back. Knowing this, Ubiquity has focused on expanding our payroll-agnostic approach, ensuring employers get what they want:

“Something that really stood out to me was the flexibility. If I ever switched payroll companies, and the payroll company handled my 401(k), I’d have to change the 401(k) too—and all the other platforms along with it. That would be a big headache. But thankfully, Ubiquity can integrate with a number of payroll companies out there.”  - Paul K., Dental Practice with 11 employees

2025 by the Numbers

Even more, 2025 also brought significant product expansion, including:

  • Expanded partner and advisor tools
  • SECURE 2.0 tax credit filing assistance
  • Enhanced Reserve(k) compliance and audit support
  • More intuitive plan management experience for employers and employees

Looking Ahead to 2026: Momentum is Building

Despite the challenges, employers aren’t standing still. In fact:

The momentum is clear, and so is the opportunity. Employers see the changes and are actively positioning their businesses to become more resilient all around with better benefits strategies.

Supporting Retirement Readiness Nationwide

2025 proved that employers truly want to do good by their employees when it comes to retirement benefits, but they need that extra support who will bring them clarity, flexibility, and simplicity in an increasingly complicated landscape.  

As we head into 2026, Ubiquity remains focused on helping employers and their teams move forward with confidence. With our flat fee cost model and a focus on plan customization, workplaces can drive momentum and build long-term retirement readiness for every employee.

‍

‍