The only thing we have to fear is fear itself—and a lack of retirement funding. A recent nationwide survey shows that a majority of Americans worry about paying for retirement, affording health care, and losing their job, no matter their political persuasion. their jobs.
Yet it’s retirement that raises the most concern, as more than 60 percent of Democrats, independents, and Republicans are concerned about having enough money to retire or having Social Security available throughout their retirement. On all measures of economic security, women and those without a college education are the most concerned.
The nationwide survey was conducted for the Institute for Communitarian Policy Study, part of The George Washington University. Its director, sociologist Amitai Etzioni, stated that the findings of the study “support our hypothesis that the majority of Americans have a wide spread sense of economic insecurity.” He added that “it seems that no political party is addressing this issue directly.”
Among the highlights (or lowlights, depending on one’s point of view:
• Retirement raises fears among most Americans, even young people. Americans are skeptical about their ability to retire, or that Social Security will be around to help. This fear spans every demographic group, with 66 percent of those under 50 (and even 59 percent of those under 30) worried about having enough money to retire.
• Women of every demographic are more worried about their economic security than men. The gender gap is significant: on nearly every measure, by double digits, women are more concerned than men about affording retirement, paying bills, losing their jobs, and affording health care. For example, 62 percent of women worry about the cost of health care compared to 47 percent of men. The exceptions are “losing my home” (only a 6 point difference), and “being able to do the same job in 10 years” where only 33 percent of both men and women are concerned.
A college education significantly reduces economic fears, but even 40 percent of college graduates worry about having enough money to pay the bills. Americans without a college education are fearful of affording retirement, paying their bills, and losing their jobs and homes. Compared to their college-educated counterparts, they are significantly more concerned about affording health care (41 percent to 60 percent). Yet, even among college-educated Americans, a majority still worries about having enough money to retire.
• Non-white Americans worry more about their economic security compared to white Americans, especially when it comes to losing their homes. Compared to affording retirement, paying for healthcare, and losing their jobs, the fear of losing one’s home ranks slightly lower, with 45 percent of Americans concerned about it. Yet, there is a significant gap between white Americans (41 percent concerned) and African Americans (51 percent) and, notably, Hispanics (61 percent).
• A majority of Americans still worry about affording health care. More than 60 percent of women and Americans without a college degree worry about the cost of healthcare.
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With more than 20 years serving financial markets, John Sullivan is the former editor-in-chief of Investment Advisor magazine and retirement editor of ThinkAdvisor.com. Sullivan is also the former editor of Boomer Market Advisor and Bank Advisor magazines, and has a background in the insurance and investment industries in addition to his journalism roots.
