A new survey by GOBankingRates offers insights into the financial futures of Americans, and it isn’t pretty.
According to a survey of over 4,500 people, by the personal finance website GOBankingRates.com, one in three Americans has absolutely nothing saved for retirement,
The bleak findings don’t stop there.
Survey Says…
- 56% of Americans have less than $10,000 saved for retirement.
- Women are 27% more likely than men to have no retirement savings.
- 72% of millennials have saved less than $10,000 for retirement ― or nothing at all.
- About 75 percent of Americans over 40 are behind on saving for retirement.
GOBankingRates’ survey asked 4,506 respondents, “By your best estimate, how much money do you have saved for retirement?” and provided seven answer options. Responses were as follows:
Less than $10K – 23%
$10K to $49K – 10%
$50K to $99K – 8%
$100K to $199K – 8%
$200 to $299K – 5%
$300K or more – 13%
I don’t have retirement savings – 33%
“The survey shows that the closer savers get to retirement, the further behind important savings benchmarks they fall,” said Elyssa Kirkham, lead reporter on the survey for GOBankingRates. “This means young people won’t be as far behind on retirement savings and will also have more time to save. But for older savers nearing retirement, this is an urgent problem they need to proactively address so they can get their retirement savings back on track.”
To help people gauge if their retirement savings are on track, GOBankingRates.com also created a guide on how much adults in different generations and income levels should have saved right now, with expert tips on how to get there for those who are behind. Guide
Methodology: GOBankingRates’ survey posed the question, “By your best estimate, how much money do you have saved for retirement?” Respondents could select one of the following answer options:
1) “Less than $10K,”
2) “$10K to $49K,”
3) “$50K to $99K,”
4) “$100K to $199K,”
5) “$200K to $299K,”
6) “$300K or more,”
7) “I don’t have retirement savings.”
Responses were collected through three separate Google Consumer Surveys conducted simultaneously Jan. 21-23, 2015, and responses are representative of the U.S. online population.
Each survey targeted one of three age groups: 1) ages 18 to 34, which collected 1,502 responses with a 2.3 percent margin of error; 2) ages 35 to 54, which collected 1,500 responses with a 1.2 percent margin of error; and 3) age 55 and over, which collected 1,504 responses with a 4.3 percent margin of error. The overall and gender-based analysis looked at the combined responses provided in all three surveys; for the gender analysis, only responses for which gender demographic information was provided were included.
About GOBankingRates
GOBankingRates.com is a leading portal for personal finance and consumer banking information, offering visitors the latest on everything from finding a good interest rate to strategies for saving money, investing for retirement and getting a loan. Its editors are regularly featured on top-tier media outlets, including U.S. News & World Report, Forbes, Business Insider, Daily Finance, Huffington Post and more. It specializes in connecting consumers with the best financial institutions and banking products nationwide.
SOURCE GOBankingRates
