A vast swath of Americans are not saving for retirement or do not know if they have retirement savings, a new survey by the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards revealed.
But nearly half who are balancing savings and debt, including student loan debt, express confidence they can pay off their debt while still accumulating retirement savings, the study said.
The survey of 2,201 people asked participants how they are jugging student loans and other priorities while still saving for retirement. Forty percent said they are not saving for retirement or do not know if they are saving. Participants with incomes of $100,000 or more are better savers with only 5% saying they are not saving for retirement. Most who are saving are using a 401k or 403b account, an IRA or an investment portfolio.
Twenty-three percent of those surveyed said they or someone in their household has student loan debts to pay off with 49% of the debt holders saying they are confident they can pay off their debt while still being able to save for retirement.
Kevin Keller, CEO of the CFP Board, noted that using a CFP professional can help those people trying to balance competing financial goals.
“No matter their age or household income, Americans are concerned about saving enough money that will last through retirement: 49% of all adults and 56% of higher earners express concern about saving enough money,” the CFP Board said.
The survey showed a “stark difference between high-earning and lower-income Americans about when they will retire. Those with less income said they will retire when they can collect Social Security payments, as opposed to other triggers [for higher income earners] like reaching a specific age or a savings milestone.”
Higher earners are more likely to use a financial advisor for retirement planning but only a minority of people are seeking outside help. Thirty-eight of the higher earners said they use an advisor compared with 18% of all adults.
“CFP professionals take a holistic approach to financial planning – looking at every facet of a person’s financial life. This includes finding ways to pay down debt and save for a comfortable retirement,” Keller said. “The services of a CFP professional are needed now more than ever as more Americans are juggling student loans, saving for retirement and other priorities.”