A recent survey by Sun Life Financial found that nearly 40% of employed Canadians have access to employer-matched savings programs, but one in five are leaving this “free money” on the table.

Data from Sun Life’s Group Retirement Services business, shows that depending on what type of match the employer offers, employees who don’t take advantage of these programs are foregoing anywhere from a 25% to a 150% return on their investment.

When asked why they don’t take advantage of these types of matching programs, the top reasons include:

> they did not have the desire to do so (21%);

> they did not have the money to spare (14%); and

> they preferred to invest on their own (6%).

“What this shows is that the industry as a whole needs to do a better job of educating working Canadians about the huge benefits of participating in retirement programs offered to them by their employer,” says Dean Connor, president, Sun Life Financial Canada. “Other than these employer-sponsored matching programs, there aren’t savings or investment vehicles that offer a guaranteed return of at least 25%. It’s free money and Canadians should be taking advantage of this benefit.”

The survey found that women (73%) are far more likely than men (65%) to always take advantage of these employer-matching programs. Across the country, working Canadians living in the Atlantic provinces (78%) are most likely to take advantage of employer matches, while Quebecers (59%) are least likely to do so.

In addition to the matching benefit that comes with many of these savings vehicles, there are some basic benefits that come with saving through your employer, including:

> Contributions to employer-sponsored programs are made pre-tax.

> Fees can be significantly lower than retail mutual fund rates because employers often receive a volume discount through group savings programs.

> Through their employer, employees gain access to a broad set of funds, many of which are usually only available to the high net worth market.

The national telephone survey by Omnitel, a division of Maritz Research, was conducted between January 8 and January 19, 2008. A total of 1,530 working Canadians (working full time, part time or self employed) were interviewed. Survey findings are accurate, plus or minus 2.5%, 19 times out of 20.