Many Americans are not only financially unprepared to retire – some fear retirement more than death, a recent survey shows.
About 61% of working Americans are more afraid of retiring than of dying, and 64% fear retiring more than getting divorced, according to a national survey for LiveCareer in June.
Those concerns reflect grim pictures painted by other studies over the years as the population continues to get older and live longer.
About 20% of Americans ages 50 and older have no retirement savings, according to an AARP survey in January. It also found 61% are worried they won’t have enough money for retirement.
How scary is retirement?
All baby boomers – those born between 1946 and 1964 – will be 65 or older by 2030. By 2040, roughly 78.3 million Americans will fall within that age group, the National Council on Aging says.
It’s not just money that fuels fears of retirement.
Other concerns include a loss of identity, says Psychology Today, which notes, “for many people, their job is a big part of their identity.”
Other fears include health problems, which may affect the ability of retirees to live independently because of fears of slipping and falling and other late-life worries, according to the University of Arizona.
How much money will Americans need to retire?
Americans are “15 times more likely to save for retirement when they have access to a workplace plan,” AARP says. However, about half of Americans don’t have access to a retirement plan at work.
The problem is more common among low-wage workers, says the Economic Innovation Group. Those earning less than $37,000 a year are less likely to have access to retirement plans.
How much have Americans saved?
The average American spends about 20 years in retirement, according to the U.S. Department of Labor, yet only about half of Americans have calculated how much they will need to retire.
What drives retirement fears?
In addition to a lack of retirement plans, many Americans are “overcoming enormous financial hurdles,” says financial institution CIBC.
“Student debt, high rent, car loans and other expenses” make saving difficult, CIBC says, adding that “living a middle-class lifestyle is 30% more expensive now than it was 20 years ago.”