401(k) savings make you healthy, wealthy, & wise

If you’re fiscally fit and contribute to a 401(k), chances are you’re going to be more physically fit according to research from Olin Professor Lamar Pierce. Brian O’Connell on TheStreet.com points to Pierce’s findings that people who contribute to retirement plans also work at improving their health. Pierce co-authored the study with former Olin PhD student Tim Gubler. It’s title is: “Healthy, Wealthy, and Wise, Retirement Planning Predicts Employee Health Improvements.” Here’s an excerpt:

We found that the decision to contribute to a 401(k) retirement plan predicted whether an individual acted to correct poor physical-health indicators revealed during an employer-sponsored health examination. …We found that existing retirement-contribution patterns and future health improvements were highly correlated. Employees who saved for the future by contributing to a 401(k) showed improvements in their abnormal blood-test results and health behaviors approximately 27% more often than non-contributors did.

Link to research paper.

Link to article on TheStreet.com, “How Training Like an Olympian Can Turn Your Personal Financial Life Into Solid Gold”