Young Savers Most Likely to Meet Retirement Goals

Workers younger than 35 are realizing they need to start saving now, according to Ascensus; however, only 30% are on track to meet their retirement savings goals.

Young savers, those between the ages of 25 and 34, are the generation most likely to be on track to meet their retirement goals, according to a new report from Ascensus, “Inside America’s Savings Plans: How 8+ million are saving for the future.”

However, even for this group, the percentage on track to meet their goals is a mere 30%. For those in the 35 to 44 age group, it is 29%; for those 45 to 54, it is 38%; and for those 55 to 64, it is 18%.

Sponsors and participants alike are beginning to recognize the value of automatic features assigned to 401(k) plans. In fact, plans with automatic enrollment have an average participation rate of 84%—14 percentage points higher than plans without this feature.

Still, 401(k) account balances across all generations and income ranges are relatively low compared with what experts say will be required to retire successfully. For example, someone making more than $100,000 between the ages of 45 and 54 has an average 401(k) balance of $146,689. Someone making between $50,000 and $74,999 in that age range has an average of only $48,844 saved. Someone 55 through 64 making $75,000 to $99,999 averages only $121,319 saved, and someone 25 through 34 making $50,000 to $74,999 averages a mere $12,787. This shouldn’t be surprising because the average savings rate across all generations is 6%.

For more stories like this, sign up for the PLANSPONSOR NEWSDash daily newsletter.

Eighty-two percent of plans have a company match, and, among this group, participation rates are 17% higher. Eighty-six percent of plans allow for profit-sharing contributions.

Employers are pairing health savings accounts (HSAs) with high-deductible health plans and enabling payroll direct deposit. At the end of 2017, total HSA assets were $45.2 billion in more than 22 million HSAs. These figures represent a year-over-year increase of 11% for accounts and 22% for assets. Ascensus projects that HSAs will have $64 billion in assets by 2019.

The average HSA balance is $16,457. Only 18% of HSA assets are invested, which Ascensus ascribes to participants being unaware they can invest the money. In addition, only 13% of recently surveyed participants know that HSAs offer tax advantages.

More than half of all new 529 college savings accounts are opened when the beneficiaries are age 5 or younger. However, parents need to save more in these accounts, because the average 529 balance for beneficiaries 16 or 17—$35,398—would cover only slightly more than half of a combined two years at a community college and two at a state university.

The average 529 account balance in 2017 was $22,886. In the past five years, there has been a 20% increase in the average balance; in 2013, it was $18,993.

In 2017, there were 352,507 new 529 account enrollments on Ascensus’ platform, with an average contribution of $3,790.

“Our analysis offers some preliminary answers as to how and when individuals are saving for a more secure financial future,” says David Musto, Ascensus president. “But at its core, it confirms that there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to planning for what matters most—retirement, education and health care.”

Ascensus’ full report can be downloaded here.

Many Participants in the Dark on Their Allocations

Twenty-two percent do not know how their assets are invested, Legg Mason found in a survey.

Twenty-two percent of retirement plan participants do not know how their assets are allocated, Legg Mason learned in a survey. This jumps to 34% of Baby Boomers but declines to 11% of Millennials.

Among those who do know how their assets are allocated, they put 51% in equities, 15% in fixed income, 12% in cash, 11% in target-date funds (TDFs) and 10% in commodities.

Get more!  Sign up for PLANSPONSOR newsletters.

“It is surprising to see employed Baby Boomers with substantially higher allocations to equities in retirement accounts (60%) compared to their other, non-401(k) accounts (34%),” says Adam Petryk, president of Legg Mason affiliate QS Investors. “In general, as individuals get closer to retirement, their portfolios are more vulnerable to market volatility, as they have less time to recover from a large downturn. Boomers may be making large allocations to equities in order to reach their retirement goals, but in doing so are not protecting the capital already accumulated from a potential market shock.”

Petryk adds that he finds it surprising that Millennials have only an average of 43% of their portfolios in equities. Millennials also have 17% of their portfolios in fixed income, 13% in cash, 12% in TDFs, and 14% in commodities.

“Since Millennials have a longer savings horizon until reaching retirement, one would expect them to hold a greater allocation to equities compared to Baby Boomers,” he adds. “Younger investors have the luxury of time and, therefore, can afford higher equity exposure to grow their portfolios.”

Asked about various innovative retirement investment strategies, 86% of participants said they would invest in a product that primarily delivered the potential for greater growth in positive markets. Eighty-three percent would invest in a product that primarily provided protection in a down market, and 81% said they would opt for one that provided greater diversification.

Asked what they would do with a $100,000 windfall, 49% said they would save it for retirement, 38% said they would use it for short-term investments, 32% said they would pay off debts other than their mortgage, 22% said they would go on vacation, and 18% would buy a car.

The survey also found that only 31% think they will have enough money saved to enjoy a comfortable life in retirement. The majority (60%) of Millennials are confident. Only 17% of Baby Boomers are equally confident.

If they found that they did not have enough money to retire, 36% said they or their spouse would work longer or participate in the gig economy.

Eighty-six percent said they are focused on long-term goals, such as generating retirement income or leaving an inheritance.

Sixty percent of Millennials and 29% overall said they regretted an emotional decision to sell in a 401(k) plan.

Research Plus Ltd. conducted the online survey among 1,000 investors who plan to invest a minimum of $50,000 over the next 12 months.

«