Retirement Readiness

Learn more about how Americans with workplace retirement plans are preparing for retirement.

Significant Savings Gap

Schroders recently surveyed 1,500 US investors, including 615 who participate in a workplace retirement plan, to better understand their concerns and retirement readiness. Key findings from this research include:

  • Americans who currently participate in a workplace retirement plan (e.g. 401k, 403b, or 457 plan) believe they will need $1.2 million in savings to retire comfortably, yet 51% expect to have less than $500,000 in savings at retirement – including 24% who say they will have less than $250,000.
  • 69% of plan participants believe rising healthcare, utility, insurance, and housing costs have put retirement out of reach for their generation
  • 31% of plan participants have no idea how their retirement assets are allocated.
  • Those who know how their retirement assets are allocated have about a quarter of their savings in cash.

Allocation of retirement investments by Americans who currently participate in a workplace retirement plan:

Equities                                                         27%

Cash                                                              26%

Fixed income                                               17%

Target date funds                                       12%

Private equity/credit                                  12%

Other                                                               6%

“Rising costs are forcing tough tradeoffs, and saving for retirement is often the first thing that gets deprioritized.”

Deb Boyden

Head of US Defined Contribution

Additional findings:

  • 74% of participants say their workplace plan is their single most important retirement asset.
  • 55% are unable to save 10% of their paycheck for retirement due to competing expenses.
  • 33% report their credit card debt is higher than their retirement savings
  • 27% report they have borrowed money from their workplace plan.
  • Most plan participants (53%) spend at least an hour a day worrying about money.

Press Release

To Retire Comfortably, Plan Participants Say They Need $1.2 Million

In the News

Featured coverage of Schroders US Retirement Survey


Contact Us

Deb Boyden, Head of US Defined Contribution

Deb.Boyden@Schroders.com