Down from final yr, 64% of Individuals say they really feel assured they come up with the money for to reside comfortably all through retirement, as monetary pressure, rising prices and rising concern about the way forward for Social Safety and Medicare proceed to weigh on staff and retirees alike.
The thirty sixth annual Retirement Confidence Survey, carried out collectively by the Worker Profit Analysis Institute (EBRI) and Greenwald Analysis, launched a few of its key findings.
• Retirement confidence declined for each staff and retirees. Employees’ confidence in having sufficient cash to reside comfortably in retirement fell 6 share factors from 2025 to 61%, whereas retirees’ confidence fell 5 share factors to 73%.
• Concern about modifications to the retirement system stays excessive. Seven in 10 retirees and 4 in 5 staff mentioned they’re involved the federal government will make modifications to the U.S. retirement system. Confidence sooner or later worth of Social Safety and Medicare advantages additionally declined. Solely about half of staff and 6 in 10 retirees mentioned they’re assured these packages will proceed to supply advantages of equal worth sooner or later.
• Monetary well-being weakened, and emergency readiness slipped. Fewer than 2 in 5 staff and half of retirees rated their family monetary well-being as not less than excellent. Fewer than 3 in 5 staff mentioned they’ve sufficient financial savings to deal with an emergency expense, down from 64% in 2025. Amongst retirees, fewer than 7 in 10 mentioned the identical, down from 74%.
• Debt stays a serious impediment, particularly for staff. Sixty-five p.c of staff mentioned debt is an issue for his or her family, and one-quarter described it as a serious downside. Half of staff have bank card debt, and practically 1 in 3 have greater than $25,000 in non-mortgage debt. About 3 in 5 staff and three in 10 retirees mentioned debt negatively impacts their potential to avoid wasting for or reside comfortably in retirement.
• Well being care prices proceed to pressure Individuals earlier than and through retirement. Almost 6 in 10 staff mentioned the price of well being care is hurting their potential to avoid wasting for retirement, whereas 2 in 5 retirees mentioned well being care bills in retirement have been greater than anticipated. Fewer than half of staff and retirees mentioned they’ve calculated how a lot they might want to save for well being care bills in retirement.
• Housing prices are one other rising supply of stress. Seven in 10 staff and half of retirees are involved that rising housing prices will have an effect on their retirement. Three in 5 staff and one-third of retirees mentioned excessive housing prices are already hurting their potential to avoid wasting.
• Employees more and more anticipate to retire later and hold working in retirement.
• Many Individuals nonetheless have no idea the place to show for retirement steerage. Greater than 2 in 5 staff and one-quarter of retirees mentioned they have no idea the place to go for monetary or retirement planning recommendation.
