New Study from Ramsey Solutions Finds Only 1 in 10 Americans Currently Saving Enough for Retirement

NASHVILLE, Tenn.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–#ChrisHogan–Nearly half of Americans aren’t saving for retirement, and those who
save aren’t saving enough, according to a new survey by Ramsey
Solutions, a leading company in financial education. Results show that
42 percent of Americans are not currently saving for the future, and
only one in 10 of the 58 percent who are saving save 15 percent or more
of their income.

This is the final report in a four-part series evaluating the state of
retirement in America as revealed by a survey of more than 1,000 U.S.
adults. This installment focuses on who is saving, how much they are
saving, and how their retirement dreams match up to reality.

Of those who are currently saving for retirement, seven in 10 wish they
were saving more. Cost of living was the top reason why people don’t
save more for retirement in all demographic groups. Almost one-third of
savers who are in debt ranked credit card debt (31 percent) and their
primary mortgage (31 percent) as the top reasons they don’t save more
for retirement. Medical expenses ranked third (27 percent).

“Age, demographics and income level all play a factor in how much people
can save and the obstacles standing in their way,” says Chris Hogan,
financial expert, number one national best-selling author and
spokesperson for Ramsey Solutions. “But if you’re going to reach
retirement age with adequate savings, you have to make a plan to pay off
these debts and reduce cost of living expenses so you can free up your
income and start to save for your future.”

Additional key survey findings include:

• Only 16 percent of Generation X are saving 15 percent or more of
  their income. Twenty percent have no retirement savings at all.
  Nearly 40 percent are saving between one and nine percent, and half
  have saved $25,000 or more.
• Fifty-four percent of Baby Boomers in the workforce have less than
  $25,000 saved for retirement, and of that group, more than half have
  no retirement savings. Only 57 percent of Baby Boomers who are
  still working are trying to build up their retirement funds, and more
  than half of Baby Boomers who are not currently building up their
  retirement funds report having no plans to save for retirement in the
  future.
• Women are more than twice as likely as men to have zero dollars
  saved. More than three-quarters of men are currently saving for
  retirement compared to 60 percent of women. And 37 percent of women
  save between one and nine percent of their income, while 36 percent of
  men save 10 percent or more of their income.
• Non-savers plan to rely mostly on Social Security combined with
  their personal savings/cash and income from continued work. Only
  44 percent of non-savers say they worry they will outlive their money
  in retirement compared to 46 percent of savers.

Additional survey findings for this installment can be found at www.daveramsey.com/research/retirement-crisis.

About the Survey
Retirement in America is a research study
conducted with 1,016 U.S. adults to gain an understanding on attitudes,
behaviors and perceptions around the topic of retirement. The nationally
representative sample was polled between February 26 and March 1, 2016,
using a third-party research panel.

About Ramsey Solutions
Ramsey Solutions is committed to
helping people take control of their money, build wealth, grow their
leadership skills and enhance their lives through personal development.
Through a variety of mediums, including live events, corporate financial
wellness program, publishing, syndicated columns and two nationally
syndicated radio shows, Ramsey Solutions uses commonsense education to
empower people to win at life and money. Millions of people across the
country have gone through Financial Peace University, and Ramsey
Solutions’ world-class speakers have brought vision, inspiration and
encouragement to over a million more.

About Chris Hogan
A popular and dynamic speaker on the
topics of personal finance, retirement and leadership, Chris Hogan helps
people across the country develop successful strategies to manage their
money in both their personal lives and businesses. He is the host of the
Retire Inspired Podcast and the author of Retire Inspired: It’s
Not an Age; It’s a Financial Number, a #1 national best seller. For
more than a decade, Chris has served at Ramsey Solutions as a trusted
financial coach and Ramsey Personality. You can follow Chris on Twitter
and Instagram
at @ChrisHogan360 and online at chrishogan360.com
or facebook.com/chrishogan360.

Contacts

Ramsey Solutions
Meg Grunke, 615-663-8660
Meg.Grunke@daveramsey.com