The nation's registered voters appear to be confirming what economists and advisors have been warning us about for years: They see a national retirement crisis on the horizon.
That was a conclusion of a survey of 833 registered voters by the Alliance for Prosperity and a Secure Retirement (APSR), a nonprofit that contracted Public Opinion Strategies to carry out the study in February.
The survey found that 80% of voters feel Americans are not prepared for retirement, and that 87% feel the country will be facing a retirement crisis.
"Only 26 percent of voters said they are 'extremely' or 'very' confident they will have enough money for their own retirements," the group said in a press release. "Another 31 percent said they are 'somewhat' confident. Younger voters were less confident about their retirement security, and so were voters without pensions."
Just 16% of Gen Z voters, 23% of millennials, 22% of Gen Xers and 36% of retirees said they are extremely or very confident about having enough money for retirement, the report said.
In focus groups conducted in Columbus, Ohio, and Atlanta, the group also found that voters were nearly unanimously opposed to state elected officials directing pension fund investment decisions.
The Alliance for Prosperity and a Secure Retirement, based in Wilmington, Del., is a nonprofit group that describes itself on its website as a "group of investors and experts supporting public policies that improve and strengthen retirement opportunities."
In describing its mission, the group says, "We will help policy makers understand the long-term implications of politicizing pension funds and investments and the importance of supporting policies that increase access to retirement and savings solutions."
Its members include BlackRock, the American Association of Senior Citizens, Consumer Action for a Strong Economy, and several firefighter and police unions, according to its website.