A deep dive into workers’ expectations in retirement versus actual income sources.

Will your retirement dreams match your reality?

That’s perhaps the most critical question to ask people who are currently retired. Was your retirement what you expected, or was it something else?

For more than 30 years, the Employee Benefit Research Institute has conducted the Retirement Confidence Survey, which gauges the views and attitudes of working-age and retired Americans regarding retirement and their preparations for retirement.

Part of the survey takes a deep dive into workers’ expectations for sources of income in retirement versus retirees’ actual income sources.

Here’s a couple of highlights of the 2021 survey.

Only 33% of workers expect Social Security to be a significant source of retirement income. In reality, 62% of retirees say it’s a major source.

Further, more than 50% of workers believe that workplace retirement savings plans will be a significant source of retirement income. But the 2021 survey found that workplace plans are a major source for only 20% of retirees.

Surprised? We’re not. These numbers are consistent year after year. Here’s another nugget to consider: 26% of workers plan to work for pay in retirement. In reality, only 7% of retirees do.

For most, retirement is the “next chapter” in life. It’s critical that your finances support your retirement vision, so there are no surprises when it’s your turn.

Let us know if there’s a change in your retirement dream. We’d welcome the chance to hear what prompted the difference, and we’ll be sure to make any needed adjustments in your financial strategy.

This information should not be construed by any client or prospective client as the rendering of personalized investment advice. All investments and investment strategies have the potential for profit or loss, and there can be no assurance that the future performance of any specific investment or investment strategy including those discussed in this material will be profitable or equal any historical performance levels. Investment strategies such as asset allocation, diversification, or rebalancing do not assure or guarantee better performance and cannot eliminate the risk of investment losses. Any target referenced is not a prediction or projection of actual investment results and there can be no assurance that any target will be achieved.

Stacy Bush is with Bush Wealth Management.