The Generational Retirement Divide
Two out of three Americans (66%) expect to be stressed about money in retirement based on how they are currently saving, according to a new survey released today by Bank of America and Merrill Edge. The latest Merrill Edge® Report reveals that people with the most time to prepare for retirement – Gen Xers and millennials – are most likely to anticipate a financially rocky retirement, while those who have already retired are less likely to feel anxious about money today.
The survey of more than 1,000 Americans with investable assets of $50,000 to $250,000 finds non-retired Gen Xers (74%) and millennials (67%) are the most likely to predict financial stress in retirement based on how they’re saving right now, while 59% of current retirees say they are not stressed about finances because of how they saved. Additionally, 73% of retirees who have saved believe they will have enough money to last through retirement. In comparison, only 57% of non-retired respondents think they will have enough money throughout retirement, while the majority (75%) of non-retirees are also planning to rely on their own savings and investments for financial help during their golden years.
“Perhaps one cause of this anticipated financial stress is that a large number of non-retired Americans believe they’ll need to rely on their personal savings and investment to live on in retirement,” said Aron Levine, head of Bank of America Preferred Banking and Merrill Edge. “Even though current retirees report they are not as anxious about money, younger Americans can learn from their example – that preparation pays off.” For more report insights from Aron Levine, please watch the “Americans Divided on Retirement Expectations” video
