Early Cross and Miyazaki Taiyo Bank Form Business Alliance. Aiming to Resolve "Retirement Benefit Disparity" for Local SMEs by Introducing Defined Contribution (DC) Plans.
Early Cross, which supports the introduction of corporate defined contribution (DC) plans and financial education, has formed a business alliance with Miyazaki Taiyo Bank to address the "retirement benefit disparity" faced by local small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). This partnership aims to solve challenges related to retirement savings preparation and talent retention amidst rising inflation by combining the regional financial institution's network with Early Cross's expertise in DC plan asset formation.
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- 📰 Published: April 1, 2026 at 17:30
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Early Cross Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Fukuoka City, Fukuoka Prefecture; Representative Director: Masaya Hanashiro; hereinafter "Early Cross"), which supports the introduction of corporate defined contribution (DC) plans and financial education, has commenced a business alliance with Miyazaki Taiyo Bank, Ltd. (Head Office: 2-1-31 Hiroshima, Miyazaki City, Miyazaki Prefecture; President: Hiroshi Kuroki; hereinafter "Miyazaki Taiyo Bank").
This alliance aims to provide solutions for local small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) owners who are struggling with retirement savings preparation and talent retention amidst rising prices. It combines the network of a regional financial institution deeply rooted in the community with asset formation expertise through corporate DC plans.
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As prices continue to rise, saving for retirement solely in cash carries the risk of the real value of future pension receipts diminishing.
## Status of Corporate DC Plan Adoption (as of 2025)
- Number of Corporate DC plan participants: Approximately 8.6 million nationwide *1
- Number of workplaces covered by employee pensions: Approximately 2.79 million companies, while the number of DC implementing businesses is approximately 58,000.
- Adoption rate: Only approximately 2.1% *2
- Approximately 98% of employee pension-covered workplaces are SMEs with 99 or fewer employees *3
There remains significant room for expansion into SMEs, leading to a disparity in retirement benefits based on company size.
Particularly for local SMEs, the lack of specialized personnel and the establishment of continuous education systems are major hurdles, creating a significant gap compared to large corporations. Furthermore, in Miyazaki Prefecture, the population has been declining since 1997, with both natural and social decreases progressing *4, and the outflow of young people to other prefectures is accelerating. According to future projections by the National Institute of Population and Social Security Research (2023 estimate), Miyazaki Prefecture's population is expected to decrease to 979,000 in 2030, falling below 1 million for the first time *5. "Improving employee benefits to retain talent" is an urgent regional issue.
Through this alliance, Miyazaki Taiyo Bank's representatives, who support the regional economy and have deep trust with business owners, will serve as the "information provision window," while Early Cross, a professional in DC plan operations, will consistently handle everything from "system design to post-introduction education." By providing financial education to local SMEs, the aim is to resolve the retirement benefit disparity and financial education disparity among regional companies.
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## References
*1 Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, Pension Bureau, "Overview of Employee Pension Insurance and National Pension Projects in FY2023 (announced December 2024)," page 7.
*2 Defined Contribution Plan Management Institutions Liaison Council, "Defined Contribution Pension Statistics (as of end of March 2025)," page 4.
*3 Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications and Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, "2021 Economic Census for Business Activity - Cross-Industrial.
This alliance aims to provide solutions for local small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) owners who are struggling with retirement savings preparation and talent retention amidst rising prices. It combines the network of a regional financial institution deeply rooted in the community with asset formation expertise through corporate DC plans.
---
As prices continue to rise, saving for retirement solely in cash carries the risk of the real value of future pension receipts diminishing.
## Status of Corporate DC Plan Adoption (as of 2025)
- Number of Corporate DC plan participants: Approximately 8.6 million nationwide *1
- Number of workplaces covered by employee pensions: Approximately 2.79 million companies, while the number of DC implementing businesses is approximately 58,000.
- Adoption rate: Only approximately 2.1% *2
- Approximately 98% of employee pension-covered workplaces are SMEs with 99 or fewer employees *3
There remains significant room for expansion into SMEs, leading to a disparity in retirement benefits based on company size.
Particularly for local SMEs, the lack of specialized personnel and the establishment of continuous education systems are major hurdles, creating a significant gap compared to large corporations. Furthermore, in Miyazaki Prefecture, the population has been declining since 1997, with both natural and social decreases progressing *4, and the outflow of young people to other prefectures is accelerating. According to future projections by the National Institute of Population and Social Security Research (2023 estimate), Miyazaki Prefecture's population is expected to decrease to 979,000 in 2030, falling below 1 million for the first time *5. "Improving employee benefits to retain talent" is an urgent regional issue.
Through this alliance, Miyazaki Taiyo Bank's representatives, who support the regional economy and have deep trust with business owners, will serve as the "information provision window," while Early Cross, a professional in DC plan operations, will consistently handle everything from "system design to post-introduction education." By providing financial education to local SMEs, the aim is to resolve the retirement benefit disparity and financial education disparity among regional companies.
---
## References
*1 Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, Pension Bureau, "Overview of Employee Pension Insurance and National Pension Projects in FY2023 (announced December 2024)," page 7.
*2 Defined Contribution Plan Management Institutions Liaison Council, "Defined Contribution Pension Statistics (as of end of March 2025)," page 4.
*3 Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications and Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, "2021 Economic Census for Business Activity - Cross-Industrial.