mlm - you are right that, like writing wills and buying insurance, learning about finances is something a lot of people avoid.  Our company hires an outside financial guy to come in once a quarter and meet with people who want to learn more or who want guidance on making decisions relative to their individual plan.  I don't know whether this is obligatory by law, but I almost think it is.  You may want to dig into the laws surrounding this stuff and encourage your employer to set up at least an annual meeting to educate folks, or to get literature that would do the same.  

Unfortunately, in the 401(k) area, the old saying, "You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink," is very true.  Our company has a tremendous 401(k) plan and match, but many feel that they can't afford to put the % match into it.  I convinced one single mom to at least check out with payroll what effect contributing the match would have on her paycheck, because I didn't think it would be much.  She then increased from 1/2% match to the 6%.  Previously, she was convinced that she couldn't afford even $1 more a month (yet she was smoking about $6 of cigarettes a day . . . yes I mentioned that after asking permission to comment on a personal observation that might help her put things into a different perspective).  She won't be a millionaire at the current rate she's going, but something is ALWAYS better than nothing.  I have to remember that if I had never worked with finance people, I might still not be preparing for my retirement, and that is a scary thought.  I guess all there is to do, mlm, is talk to one person at a time until our respective little corners of the world are covered.  Ciao!  GE