NEW DATA CONFIRMS A LOW NATIONAL RETIREMENT IQ
With Time Running Out, Boomers Show a Lack of Retirement Knowledge and Action
PR Newswire, Washington, DC – October 6, 2016
Although many Americans think they are financially savvy, new data shows how the group closest to retirement, baby boomers, struggles with retirement fundamentals and is not saving enough for their golden years. New data released by the Indexed Annuity Leadership Council shows that many baby boomers aren’t financially prepared for retirement – they have little saved, are consumed about lifetime income options, and don’t know how much money they need to live comfortably.
- 60 percent of baby boomers think they need less than $1 million in retirement, when in reality at least a quarter of a million will be needed for health care costs alone
- 1 in 4 baby boomers have less than $5,000 saved for retirement
- Nearly half of baby boomers don’t know that there are financial products that deliver lifetime income
- 2 out of 5 baby boomers think they will get more money from Social Security than the average monthly payment
Many baby boomers are banking on Social Security as a main stream of money for retirement. Yet, more than half of boomers cannot correctly guess the average monthly Social Security payment. In fact, many think the average monthly payment is $500 more than it actually is – a budget miscalculation that will leave them almost a quarter of a million dollars short over a 30-year retirement.
Social Security isn’t the only consistent paycheck available in retirement; Fixed Indexed Annuities (FIAs) can provide a steady, guaranteed lifetime income stream with minimum guaranteed interest credits. FIAs can serve as part of a balanced financial plan because they do not directly participate in any stock or equity investments and protect your principal from fluctuations in the market.
Budgeting troubles continue when boomers are asked what they would do with a large cash gift as retirement doesn’t come to mind for many.
- 40 percent of baby boomers prioritize lifestyle purchases over retirement savings
- 52 percent of baby boomers have debt to pay down before saving for retirement
“Struggling to estimate how much money will be needed during retirement or sifting through different financial products can feel like a big hurdle, especially for those close to retirement,” says Jim Poolman, executive director of the IALC. “The good news is it’s fairly easy to increase your retirement IQ. Start with the basics of estimating retirement costs and getting a balanced portfolio in place.”
Ensuring your savings can fulfill your retirement expectations starts with calculating how much you’ll need for the entire length of retirement. You’ll need to take into account your lifestyle budget, Social Security benefits available to you and any lifetime income streams. Once you know how much you’ll need, you can evaluate your current savings plan and how the products in your portfolio are helping you achieve your retirement goals.
How will you pay for retirement? Find out how much you will need with IALC’s retirement calculators.
For more information about FIAs, visit IALC’s educational website or follow on Twitter @IALCouncil.
About the Indexed Annuity Leadership Council
The Indexed Annuity Leadership Council (IALC) brings together a consortium of life insurance companies with a commitment to providing consumers, the media, regulators and industry professionals complete and factual information about the use of fixed indexed annuities. Namely, that these products provide a source of guaranteed income, principal protection, and interest rate stability in retirement as well as balance to any long-term financial plan. To date, IALC member companies have more than 1.3 million policies in force with more than $84 billion in assets.
Data trends were compiled from the GfK’s KnowledgePanel, a nationally representative sample of 6,490 Americans between April and May of 2016 and Toluna’s online panel in August 2016, among n=510 baby boomers (ages 55-69). Figures for age, sex and region income were weighted where necessary to bring them into line with their actual proportions in the census population. To view full findings, RetirementIQ.FIAinsights.org.
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