Eighty-two percent of Americans are considering delaying retirement due to financial reasons, and 92% are worried they will have to work longer than they’d like, a survey by LiveCareer found.
Sixty-four percent said the thought of retirement is more frightening than getting a divorce, and 61% fear retirement more than death, the survey of 1,031 adults June 4-5 by the resume-building website found.
Eighty-two percent said inflation has significantly curtailed their ability to save for retirement.
The majority, 80%, of people plan to retire in their 60s, with just 10% aiming to retire before they turn 60, and 9% between the ages of 71 and 75. Only 0.5% never plan to retire.
Forty-three percent plan to continue to work part-time during their retirement years in their same field of expertise, and 29% plan to find a part-time job in a different field.
Only 42% are highly confident they are on track to save what they’ll need in retirement.
Eighty-six percent think they will need between $100,000 and $750,000 to retire, with the figures all over the map. As to how much they have saved, 48% have between $50,000 and $200,000 set aside for retirement; 14% have between $200,001 and $500,000. A mere 5% have between $500,001 and $1 million in their retirement fund.
“Our survey reveals that financial stability is a primary concern among participants, with many fearing they won’t be able to afford to retire and that they might become a financial burden to their loved ones,” says Jasmine Ascalera, a LiveCareer career expert.
Thirty-nine are worried about becoming a financial burden to their loved ones, and the same percentage is worried about not having enough money for medical emergencies or unexpected costs.
Fifty-nine percent are concerned about being able to pay for long-term care, and 45% fear they won't be able to maintain their standard of living in retirement.
Besides retirement, other financial concerns are: making poor investment decisions and losing money (52%), feeling disconnected from society (48%), struggling to adapt to a new routine (46%), shifts in government benefits such as Social Security and Medicare (44%), medical expenses (41%), and inflation (30%).
Unfortunately, 82% have debts that could impact their retirement, with 35% in debt to the tune of $100,000 or more. This is distributed among 44% having credit card debt, 41% car loans, and 39% medical debt.
Lee Barney ✉
Lee Barney, Newsmax’s financial editor, has been a financial journalist for 30 years, covering the economy, retirement planning, investing and financial technology.
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