Many Americans not only halted contributions to retirement savings accounts last year, but many also dipped into those savings to keep up with inflationary costs, according to a survey from U.S. News & World Report.
The 360 Reviews retirement and inflation survey found that half of respondents paused saving for retirement at some point in 2022. Further, 41% of respondents stopped contributing to 401(k)s and other retirement funds and 32% withdrew money from their retirement savings to cover expenses.
The survey also found that 82% of respondents are worried that a recession will further erode their retirement plans and savings. And 57% indicated that they lost sleep in 2022 due to stress over their retirement.
But there was some optimism among respondents that things will get better this year. Fivety-seven percent believe that the economy will be stronger by the end of 2023 and 61% say their personal retirement situation will improve.
Sixty-five percent of respondents, however, believe they will need to work post-retirement to supplement their Social Security income. Also, 88% believe the generation directly after theirs will have a more difficult time retiring.
As for owning a home and living comfortably in retirement, 59% said those are attainable goals. Forty-eight percent, however, believe the generations behind them will have a harder time reaching those goals.
The survey was conducted in November and included 2,000 U.S. adults, who were at least 18 years old, had been saving for retirement for more than five years, and were not yet retired.