How Damaging is Financial Overconfidence to Older 401k Savers?

401k, retirement, financial literacy

We all need a little help sometimes.

There’s a fine line between confidence and overconfidence, and when it comes to financial matters, crossing into the overconfident territory could yield disastrous results.

New findings from a group of researchers with the TIAA Institute discovered that older adults who scored higher on cognitive tests are also more self-confident about managing finances and therefore less likely to seek advice.

The Institute’s report highlights concerns about one’s ability to manage finances as he or she ages and cognitive ability declines. “[I]f they mistakenly believed that their acumen remains intact at older ages, they would continue managing their assets, rather than seeking help from financial advisors,” the researchers noted.

Results were similar, if not worse, among respondents with better cognitive ability and financial literacy. Data show this group is “not more likely to access financial advice regarding a variety of financial tasks, obtain free help or follow advice when given,” according to TIAA’s report.

Perhaps the least susceptible to making poor financial choices are those with higher levels of financial literacy. But their money skills aren’t the only reason that this is the case. Strangely, those who are more financially savvy are also more likely to seek help related to money matters and less likely to be overconfident.

Focusing on adults ages 50 and over, TIAA examined data from the nationally representative Health and Retirement Study to draw its conclusions. Other key findings published in the Institute’s “Cognitive Ability and the Demand for Financial Advice at Older Ages” report include:

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