64% of Americans wish they’d started saving for retirement earlier: survey

Read: Survey finds 74% of workers say it’s important for employers to offer retirement savings options

Gen Z respondents had the earliest start, reporting they started saving for retirement around age 20, followed by millennials, who started at age 24 but wished they had started saving at 23. Gen X and baby boomer respondents noted they started saving for retirement much later than younger generations (ages 30 and 32, respectively). Notably, every generation wished they’d started saving for retirement sooner.

Respondents cited the economy (64 per cent) and inflation (61 per cent) as top concerns that could impact their ability to save for retirement. More than half (54 per cent) also cited everyday living expenses (54 per cent) and health-care costs (49 per cent) as having a “severe” or “major” impact on their ability to save for retirement. Indeed, three-quarters of gen-Zers (76 per cent) and millennials (73 per cent) also “agreed” or “strongly agreed” they need help understanding how much to save for retirement.

“While employee wellness benefits continue to grow in popularity to support the holistic needs of today’s workforce, the reality is that many individuals don’t recognize the resources often available to them from their employers,” said Voya’s Tom Armstrong, vice-president of customer analytics and insight, in a press release. “Health savings accounts to offset the burden of medical costs, student-loan debt support and tools for building emergency savings remain important focus areas for employers.”

Read: U.S. gen X workers falling short of retirement savings targets: report