Early Cross and Miyazaki Taiyo Bank Form Business Alliance to Resolve "Retirement Benefit Gap" for Local SMEs through Corporate DC Plan Introduction

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 and Representative Director: Hiroshi Kuroki; hereinafter "Miyazaki Taiyo Bank").

This alliance aims to provide a solution that integrates the network of a community-based financial institution with the asset formation expertise of corporate DC plans, addressing the challenges faced by local small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) managers regarding retirement savings and talent retention amidst rising prices.

As inflation continues, saving for retirement solely in cash carries the risk of the real value of future payouts diminishing.

## Corporate DC Plan Adoption Status (as of 2025)
- Number of corporate DC plan participants nationwide: Approximately 8.6 million people *1
- Number of welfare pension-covered workplaces: Approximately 2.79 million companies, of which approximately 58,000 companies implement DC plans.
- Adoption rate: Only approximately 2.1% *2
- Approximately 98% of welfare 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 educational systems pose significant hurdles, creating a large gap compared to large corporations. Furthermore, Miyazaki Prefecture has seen a continuous population decline 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 projections), Miyazaki Prefecture's population is expected to decrease to 979,000 by 2030, falling below 1 million for the first time *5. "Improving welfare benefits to retain talent" is an urgent regional issue.

In this alliance, Miyazaki Taiyo Bank's representatives, who support the regional economy and have deep trust relationships 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 gap and financial education gap among regional companies.

## References
*1 From page 7 of "Overview of Employees' Pension Insurance and National Pension Business for FY2023 (announced December 2024)" by the Pension Bureau, Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare.
*2 From page 4 of "Defined Contribution Pension Statistics (as of end of March 2025)" by the Defined Contribution Pension Plan Management Organization Liaison Council.
*3 Calculated from "2021 Economic Census for Business Activity - Cross-Industry Tabulation Results (announced March 2024)" by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications and the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.
*4 Miyazaki Prefecture Policy Planning Department, Statistics and Survey Division, "Miyazaki Prefecture Population (as of October 1, 2024)" announced February 28, 2025. The prefecture's population has been declining since 1997, with both natural and social changes showing a net decrease recently.
*5 National Institute of Population and Social Security Research, "Future Population Projections by Region in Japan (2023 Projections)" announced December 22, 2023. Refer to the projected value for Miyazaki Prefecture in 2030 (979,129 people) from Result Table 1, Total Population.

## Details of Business Alliance and Role Allocation
### [STEP 1: Information Provision / Miyazaki Taiyo Bank]
Bank representatives, deeply rooted in the community and knowledgeable about management challenges, will provide information on corporate DC plans as an option for improving employee welfare and preparing for retirement.
### [STEP 2: System Design and Introduction Support / Early Cross]
Early Cross will handle applications to the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare and design contribution amounts tailored to the business owners' objectives.
### [STEP 3: Continuous Financial Education / Early Cross]
After the system's introduction, investment education (employee briefings, individual consultations) will be provided to help employees "protect and grow their own assets."

## Representative's Comment
Masaya Hanashiro, Representative Director, Early Cross Co., Ltd.

I am very pleased that this alliance with Miyazaki Taiyo Bank has been realized. I am sincerely grateful for the opportunity to work together to address the challenges faced by SMEs in Miyazaki Prefecture and their employees, who have not had sufficient access to information on corporate DC plans, through the bank's community-based network and deep trust relationships with business owners.

We aim to achieve financial well-being for each working individual, meaning freedom from future financial anxieties and the ability to choose a life that suits them. As a means to this end, we are promoting the introduction and widespread adoption of corporate DC plans.

Introducing a corporate DC plan is not the goal in itself. True value is only created when employees actually contribute, think about their own asset management, and take action to save for the future. For this, understanding the system's mechanisms is essential.

This alliance with Miyazaki Taiyo Bank is a significant step towards expanding this circle of support to local SMEs. By combining the bank's community-focused network with our expertise in DC plan operations, we will tackle the retirement benefit gap and financial education gap among regional companies.

## Overview of Partner Company
- Company Name: Miyazaki Taiyo Bank, Ltd.
- Representative: Hiroshi Kuroki, President and Representative Director
- Location: 2-1-31 Hiroshima, Miyazaki City, Miyazaki Prefecture
- Business Activities: Banking
- Website: https://www.taiyobank.co.jp/

## About Early Cross Co., Ltd.
Early Cross aims to "solve future money problems" and supports the future asset formation of SME managers and employees through the introduction of corporate defined contribution (DC) pension plans.

### Corporate Overview
- Company Name: Early Cross Co., Ltd.
- Representative: Masaya Hanashiro
- Headquarters: GEST25 Building, 3-21-18 Haruyoshi, Chuo-ku, Fukuoka City, Fukuoka Prefecture, 810-0003 Japan
- Website: https://www.early-cross.com/

## About Recruitment Reinforcement
Early Cross is actively recruiting talent with a view to business expansion and further popularization of corporate defined contribution (DC) pension plans.

We will expand our support system with new colleagues at our Fukuoka headquarters and other locations, further enhancing services for SMEs and partner professionals with a sense of speed.

Please see below for recruitment information.
Recruitment Information Here