Building Financial Wellness Programs In-House Costs $21M-$38M: Report
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El Segundo, Calif. – October 07, 2026 -- Building a workplace financial wellness program from scratch costs between $21 million and $38 million and takes more than a decade, according to a new white paper from Financial Finesse's Financial Wellness Think TankTM.
Outside vendors now dominate program sourcing, EBRI data shows
Among employers with a financial wellness strategy or one in development, 87% used outside help to build it, per the Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI). The share relying on a dedicated financial wellness vendor climbed from 47% in 2020 to 66% in 2025, based on EBRI's 2025 Financial Wellbeing Employer Survey of benefits decision makers at companies with 500 or more employees (n=406).