Confidence in retirement plans outpaces financial readiness, survey finds
Most surveyed Americans over 55 planning to retire in 2026 were confident they would do so, but far fewer felt financially prepared.
A survey of 1,000 Americans aged over 55 planning to retire in 2026 found a clear gap between confidence and financial preparedness. Asset Preservation Wealth & Tax reported that 60% were very confident they would retire as planned, while only 27% felt very financially prepared.
A further 53% described themselves as somewhat prepared, while 18% said they were not very prepared or not prepared at all. The figures suggest that planning to leave work and having sufficient financial resources remain separate concerns for many respondents.
The most common concern was outliving retirement savings, cited by 52% of those surveyed. Other leading concerns included rising living costs, higher health-care expenses and possible changes to Social Security.
The findings are consistent with concerns identified in a separate 2025 survey by Principal Financial Group, in which 54% of respondents said they worried about running out of savings in retirement. Among Gen X respondents, 70% said their retirement savings were insufficient, compared with 50% of baby boomers.
Retirement planning measures can include savings targets based on annual income and replacement-rate estimates, which commonly aim to cover 70% to 80% of pre-retirement income. The Social Security Administration’s benefit calculator and the US Department of Labor’s retirement savings worksheet are among the tools available to help estimate future income needs.
The survey’s fieldwork date, sampling method and margin of error were not provided, so its findings cannot be treated as representative of all Americans approaching retirement.
