Pandemic fuels retirement fears, study finds

Pandemic fuels retirement fears, study finds
The majority of workers affected by COVID-19 are pessimistic, a Wells Fargo study shows
OCT 21, 2020

Workers whose employment has been negatively impacted by COVID-19 are pessimistic about retirement, with 70% worried about running out of money and 61% more afraid of life in retirement.

Those are the key findings of a study conducted in August for Wells Fargo by the Harris Poll, which found that 58% of workers who were affected by the pandemic say they now don’t know whether they have enough saved to retire.

The study found that while working men and women reported median retirement savings of $120,000 and $60,000, respectively, those whose work was affected by the pandemic reported median retirement savings of $60,000 and $21,000, respectively.

“With individual investors now largely responsible for saving and funding their own retirement, disruptive events and economic downturns can have an outsized impact on their outlook,” said Nate Miles, head of retirement at Wells Fargo Asset Management. “Our study shows that even for the most disciplined savers, working Americans are not saving enough for retirement.”

Despite the paucity of savings, most working Americans are optimistic, with 69% of workers and 73% of retirees saying they feel in control or happy about their financial situation.

In addition, while 71% of all workers, 81% of those negatively impacted by Covid-19, and 85% of retirees say that the pandemic has reinforced how important Social Security and Medicare will be or are for their retirement, most worry about its future. Almost three-quarters (72%) of workers are afraid that Social Security won’t be available when they retire.

Latest News

Voya expands advisor managed accounts to add private market assets
Voya expands advisor managed accounts to add private market assets

Voya Financial adds private equity, credit and real estate options to its AMA program, building on support for looser federal investment rules in retirement accounts.

With executives leaving, Osaic’s Reid now in the spotlight
With executives leaving, Osaic’s Reid now in the spotlight

Shannon Reid, president of Osaic and the network’s number two executive, has plenty of challenges, industry executives said.

Investors sue crypto fund and platform, alleging $1.5 million never returned
Investors sue crypto fund and platform, alleging $1.5 million never returned

Auditors flagged the commingling. The COO allegedly knew. Investors kept getting the pitch

Wells Fargo nabs $1.7B RBC advisor team, loses two teams to LPL
Wells Fargo nabs $1.7B RBC advisor team, loses two teams to LPL

The advisors on the move include two brothers leading a family practice in Connecticut, and a husband-and-wife tandem working with business owners in the West Coast.

Most potential business successors think there's a plan – but owners say otherwise
Most potential business successors think there's a plan – but owners say otherwise

Business owners and their heirs may be making assumptions instead of having conversations, creating challenges for succession planning, according to new research.

SPONSORED Who builds the income when the pension disappears?

Dan Biagini of American Equity says the steady decline of pensions, longer lifespans and a reset in interest rates are rewriting how advisors build retirement income

SPONSORED Why direct indexing stopped being optional

Direct indexing is on pace to outgrow ETFs and mutual funds. Northern Trust's Ken Lassner explains why the advisors who get it wish they had started sooner.