Baby Boomers Adjusted Retirement Expectations Post Recession

More Boomers feel they will rely on Social Security in retirement than before the recession.

A decade after the recession of 2007, more than half of Baby Boomers feel they have not benefitted from any recovery, according to a new study by the Center for a Secure Retirement (CSR). The survey also found that only 2% believe the economy has fully recovered. Twenty-eight percent are making more conservative investment decisions and 26% have stopped investing.

Throughout the decade, many Boomers have readjusted retirement expectations to meet this situation.  Even before the financial crisis, 45% of those with annual household income between $30,000 and $100,000 and less than $1 million in investable assets, expected to retire debt free. Today, that number stands at 34%. Two-thirds of respondents are worried about facing another financial crisis.

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The study also revealed that three in 10 (34%) middle-income Boomers plan to rely on personal savings or earnings for their primary source of income in retirement, down from four in 10 before the crisis. This reliance appears to be shifting to Social Security, where four in 10 (38%) middle-income Boomers expect to rely on Social Security for their primary source of retirement income, versus three in 10 before the crisis.

According to the latest CSR report, before the crisis, 35% of middle-income Boomers expected to work full time or part-time in retirement, but today 48% expect to work full or part-time.

“Ten years ago, Baby Boomers had a clear vision of what a personally satisfying retirement looked like,” says Scott Goldberg, president of Bankers Life. “But today, many are realizing they will not be as financially independent in retirement as they once expected.”

With pressing challenges ahead, more than eight in 10 have taken specific actions to meet their new demands: Reduced discretionary expenses (54%), reduced recurring monthly expenses (47%), and creating and maintaining a household budget (35%)

As a result, today more than half (57%) of middle-income Boomers feel confident in meeting their daily financial obligations, up from only 41% during the crisis.

Long-term financial planning, however, is still a target for many. Two in 10 middle-income Boomers now save a smaller percentage of their paycheck, nearly one quarter don’t save anything.

“Boomers should plan for any unexpected costs that can arise, especially expenses related to retirement, such as long-term care or critical illness,” says Goldberg. “Also, they should make a concerted effort to pay down debt before retiring to create more financial flexibility.”

The CSR survey “10 Years After the Crisis: Middle-Income Boomers Rebounding But Not Recovered” is part of a series of studies commissioned by the Bankers Life Center for a Secure Retirement. It was conducted in October 2016 by independent research firm The Blackstone Group.

The findings were from one Internet-based survey of 1,000 middle-income Boomers. Quotas were established based on the U.S. Census Current Population Survey data for age, gender and income to obtain a nationally representative sample.

Employees Feel Less Secure About Finances and Saving for Retirement

Generation X and single parents are feeling particularly strapped, a survey from Guardian finds.

Concerns about financial security have the greatest impact on employees’ feelings of overall well-being, according to findings from the Fourth Annual Guardian Workplace Benefits Study.

As part of the study, Guardian created the Workforce Well-Being Index (WWBI), which measures consumer attitudes about their financial, physical, and emotional wellness. Workers feel less positive about their financial wellness (3.19 self-evaluation rating out of 5) than they do about their physical (3.26) or emotional wellness (3.45). The WWBI identified financial wellness as the most significant driver of working Americans’ overall well-being, constituting 40% of the average index score.

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The study suggests progress on a variety of personal financial goals appears to have taken a negative turn in the past two years. In 2014, 81% of respondents indicated they were saving enough for retirement, compared to 65% in 2016. Eighty-seven percent reported in 2014 that they were paying off or reducing household debt versus 79% in 2016. And, in 2014, 78% said they were saving for children’s college education, while only 57% said so in 2016.

In addition, the study found one in five (21%) working Americans have no retirement plan—and Millennials and single parents are even less likely to be saving for retirement. Just 41% of workers feel they are making good progress toward their retirement goals—down from 60% in 2014. Only 22% say they have access to college savings or tuition benefits through their place of work.

According to the study, Generation X (ages 35 to 54) and single parents are feeling particularly strapped. They have some of the lowest well-being scores, driven mainly by personal financial concerns, including paying bills, reducing debt, and absorbing higher out-of-pocket costs for medical care. 

Gen X and single parents share other similar financial concerns:

  • They are having more difficulty making ends meet—three in five feel they are keeping up with basic bills and expenses;
  • Only half feel they are successfully managing their debt;
  • One in four feel on track saving for their children’s college education; and
  • Few feel they are saving enough to live comfortably in retirement.

Employers increasingly are seeking ways to improve workforce health and productivity, which often begins with a strong financial foundation. “Taking a more holistic approach to managing workforce well-being—one that addresses not only physical and emotional health but also employee financial security—will produce better results for employers looking to reduce medical benefits costs, improve absenteeism/presenteeism, and increase employee productivity and engagement,” Guardian says.

The report of survey results, “Mind, Body, and Wallet,” may be downloaded from here.

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