Private Credit Seen as Top Candidate for DC Plans, PIMCO Survey Shows
About half of institutional consultants and 91% of aggregators ranked private credit among the most likely private assets to be added to defined contribution plans in the near term, according to PIMCO's 2026 Defined Contribution Consulting Study conducted from January 5 through February 16, 2026.
Private credit is gaining acceptance as an allocation within defined contribution retirement plan portfolios, according to PIMCO's 20th Annual Defined Contribution Consulting Study. About half of institutional consultants and 91% of aggregators ranked private credit among the most likely private assets to be added in the near term, based on survey responses collected from January 5 through February 16, 2026 [2].
The survey focused on gatekeepers who advise plan sponsors on investment menu construction for employer-sponsored retirement accounts. PIMCO, which manages private credit strategies and advises institutional clients on DC plan design, conducted the study to assess shifting attitudes toward alternative assets in default funds and target-date portfolios.
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