Canadian workers don’t think they’ll have enough savings for their retirement, according to two new surveys.
While 68 per cent of respondents said they’re currently saving for retirement, 70 per cent are worried they aren’t saving enough, according to a Scotiabank survey. Of the 32 per cent who aren’t saving for retirement, almost half (45 per cent) are between the ages of 18 and 34.
The survey also noted planning for retirement is on the back burner in favour of more pressing financial concerns. Less than a quarter (23 per cent) of Canadians said saving for retirement was a top priority.
Read: Most Canadians unsure how much money they’ll need for retirement: survey
Two-thirds (66 per cent) of respondents said they’re concerned they’re underestimating how much money they’ll need for retirement, while 47 per cent are worried they’ll need to rely on their family for financial assistance. More than half (59 per cent) said they’re worried about losing their financial independence in retirement.
While 46 per cent of Canadians said they plan to retire between age 60 and 70, six per cent said they don’t plan to ever retire. And 53 per cent of respondents said they’re concerned they’ll have to re-enter the workplace after retiring.
Another survey, by Oaken Financial, had similar insights. It found 50 per cent of Canadian workers aged 35 and 54 said they started saving for retirement late or haven’t yet started due to the high cost of living, while 54 per cent of workers aged 18 to 34 and 36 per cent of workers aged 55 and older said the same.
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Four in 10 (4o per cent) survey respondents between the ages of 18 and 34 said they’ve delayed retirement savings because of student debt, while 24 per cent of respondents aged 35 to 54 and just nine per cent of those age 55 and older said the same.
Also, Canadians of all ages are being sandwiched between expenses for both their parents and their children. One in five (22 per cent) respondents between the ages of 35 and 54, 29 per cent of those aged 18 to 34 and just five per cent of workers over age 55 said they’re financially responsible for both their parents and their children.