For more information on this year's Retirement Confidence Survey, please visit www.ebri.org.
More than two in five workers and one in four retirees said they were unsure where to go for financial or retirement planning advice.
|
|
Retirement Confidence Down
Retirement confidence slipped in 2026 after showing signs of improvement the year before, with both workers and retirees feeling less certain about their financial future. According to the latest findings from the Employee Benefit Research Institute's 2026 Retirement Confidence Survey, only about three in five workers now say they are confident they will have enough money to live comfortably in retirement, while roughly three in four retirees say the same.
Economic concerns
A key reason behind both confidence and concern is how people view the adequacy of their savings, and inflation and the rising cost of living continue to weigh heavily, especially on workers. About a quarter of workers with low confidence cite inflation as a key reason they feel uncertain about retirement. Workers are also less confident than last year that they will be able to cover basic expenses in retirement, keep up with inflation, and handle emergency expenses.
Financial well-being declined overall. Fewer than two in five workers and about half of retirees describe their household financial situation as very good. Debt remains a major obstacle, particularly for workers; 65% say debt is a problem, one in four say it is a major problem, and half carry credit card debt. Debt also affects retirees, though to a lesser extent. Many say it is making it harder to save for retirement or live comfortably.
The tables below represent the percentage of workers and retirees who said they were at least somewhat concerned about these events affecting their finances in retirement.
| Concerns Among Workers |
2025 |
2026 |
| The U.S. government making significant changes to the American retirement system |
79% |
78% |
| An economic recession will impact your retirement plans |
N/A |
74% |
| Housing costs will rise |
71% |
72% |
| A health event that would prevent you from working |
N/A |
65% |
| Having to provide care for a loved one who has a health condition or disability |
N/A |
61% |
| The growing role of technology/AI will cause you to change jobs |
N/A |
53% |
| Concerns Among Retirees |
2025 |
2026 |
| The U.S. government making significant changes to the American retirement system |
71% |
69% |
| An economic recession will impact your retirement plans |
N/A |
58% |
| Housing costs will rise |
53% |
52% |
| A health event that would prevent you from working |
N/A |
46% |
| Having to provide care for a loved one who has a health condition or disability |
N/A |
44% |
| The growing role of technology/AI will cause you to change jobs |
N/A |
25% |
Expected retirement age
Workers continue to expect to retire later, with the median expected retirement age holding at 65 and more saying they do not plan to retire at all. In contrast, retirees report a median retirement age of 62, and many say they retired earlier than planned because of health issues or other factors beyond their control.
| Expected/Actual Retirement Age |
Workers |
Retirees |
| Less than 55 |
7% |
13% |
| 55 to 59 |
5% |
17% |
| 60 to 61 |
10% |
8% |
| 62 to 64 |
7% |
23% |
| 65 |
19% |
14% |
| 66 to 69 |
13% |
16% |
| 70 or older |
22% |
10% |
| Will never retire |
16% |
N/A |
|
