More Related Content Similar to Generational Retirement Trends Study - 2015 (20) More from T. Rowe Price (6) Generational Retirement Trends Study - 20151. Millennial, Gen X, and Baby Boomer Workers and Retirees
RETIREMENT SAVING &
SPENDING STUDY
2. 22
Table of Contents
Methodology
Workers with 401(k)s: Millennials, Gen X, and Baby boomers
– Workers’ 401(k) Accounts
– Auto-features and Target Date Funds
– Saving, Spending and Advice
– Profiles
Millennials who are eligible to participate in their employers’ 401(k) but do not
(eligible but not contributing or non-savers)
Retirees who saved in 401(k)s
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3. 33
Methodology
3,026 working adults 18+ currently contributing to a 401(k) plan or
eligible to contribute and having a balance of $1,000+
1,027 adults retired in the last one to five years with a Rollover IRA or
left-in-plan 401(k) balance
– Active participants and retirees conducted online February 19 through
March 3, 2015
255 Millennials (18–33 years old) working and eligible for a 401(k)
plan at current employer but not contributing and do not have a
balance in that 401(k)—eligible nonparticipants (ENPs)
– Conducted online March 4 through March 25, 2015
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Representative national surveys of:
5. 55
Market Value of 401(k) Plan
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Base: Workers
Thinking about your 401(k) plan, what would you say is the current market value of
that account?
Workers By Generation
Total Workers
(%)
Baby Boomer
(%)
Gen X
(%)
Millennial
(%)
$1 to < $1,000 5 5 3 8
$1,000 to < $5,000 12 5 9 22
$5,000 to < $15,000 13 11 10 19
$15,000 to < $25,000 9 6 8 11
$25,000 to < $50,000 12 11 12 12
$50,000 to < $100,000 16 12 20 13
$100,000 to < $250,000 20 25 22 11
$250,000 to < $500,000 9 14 11 1
$500,000 or more 6 12 5 3
Average $ in thousands $134 $201 $138 $59
Median $ in thousands $51 $103 $67 $16
By Worker Generation
Q.7
6. 66
Base: Millennial workers
Market Value of 401(k) Plan
Total Millennial Workers by Gender
Thinking about your 401(k) plan, what would you say is the current market value of
that account?
Q.7
Millennial Workers
Total Workers
(%)
Male
(%)
Female
(%)
$1 to < $1,000 8 6 11
$1,000 to < $5,000 22 19 27
$5,000 to < $15,000 19 18 21
$15,000 to < $25,000 11 11 11
$25,000 to < $50,000 12 13 11
$50,000 to < $100,000 13 16 9
$100,000 to < $250,000 11 14 7
$250,000 to < $500,000 1 1 1
$500,000 or more 3 4 1
Average $ in thousands $59 $74 $38
Median $ in thousands $16 $22 $11
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7. 77
Personal Deferral Rate
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Base: Workers, expecting to contribute to their 401(k) (96%)
About what percentage of your personal income does this contribution represent?
Workers by Generation
Total Workers
(%)
Baby Boomer
(%)
Gen X
(%)
Millennial
(%)
1–2% 11 13 10 12
3–4% 16 13 15 19
5–6% 22 20 23 23
7–9% 13 10 15 11
10–14% 22 25 22 20
15–19% 8 10 6 8
20%+ 8 10 9 7
Average % 8 9 8 8
Median % 7 8 7 6
By Worker Generation
Q.41
8. 88
401(k) Contribution Compared With Past 12 Months
11%
10%
6%
9%
49%
60%
73%
61%
40%
30%
21%
30%
Millennial
Gen X
Baby
Boomer
Total
Workers
Lower Same Higher
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Base: Workers, at employer one year or longer (93%)
As a percentage of your income, how does that compare with the past 12 months?
By Worker Generation
Q.40
9. 99
By Worker Generation
Recommended Contribution
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Base: Workers
As far as you know, what percentage of your income do financial experts typically
recommend someone your age save to make sure you have a comfortable retirement?
Workers by Generation
Total Workers
(%)
Baby Boomer
(%)
Gen X
(%)
Millennial
(%)
1–2% 3 1 2 5
3–4% 6 5 5 9
5–6% 13 7 12 20
7–9% 6 2 8 8
10–14% 26 20 31 24
15–19% 11 14 11 8
20–25% 9 13 8 8
Not sure 27 39 24 19
Average % 11 13 11 9
Median % 10 10 10 9
Q.42
10. 1010
By Worker Generation
Increasing Your 401(k) Contribution
51%
50%
49%
41%
31%
26%
40%
44%
36%
28%
19%
11%
52%
50%
53%
44%
34%
29%
61%
54%
56%
48%
40%
39%
You got a raise
You had to increase your contribution rate to get the
maximum matching contribution from your employer
You paid down debt you owe
You reduced your overall spending
You had an emergency fund for unexpected expenses
You learned that others of your age and income were saving
a bigger proportion of their income than you are
Total Workers Baby Boomer Gen X Millennial
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Base: Workers, “absolutely certain or very likely"
How likely would you be to increase the proportion of your income you contribute to
your 401(k) if...
Q.43
11. 1111
By Workers
Reasons for Contributing Below the Maximum
81%
71%
66%
43%
48%
53%
18%
14%
18%
20%
41%
34%
27%
34%
6%
11%
14%
16%
18%
21%
48%
You don't need to save for retirement
You are paying back college loans
You are saving for a child's education
You don't want to lock up in a 401(k) money you might
need soon
You are saving for retirement through other vehicles
You are paying back debt other than college loans
You're contributing all you can afford
Not a Reason Minor Major
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Base: Workers, contributing below the maximum allowed to 401(k) (89%)
As you probably know, you are contributing less to your 401(k) than the IRS permits you
to defer from income. Please indicate below the extent to which any of the items below
are a reason for this.
Q.44
12. 1212
By Worker Generation
Major Reasons for Contributing Below the Maximum
48%
21%
18%
16%
14%
11%
6%
46%
13%
22%
8%
4%
3%
4%
52%
23%
16%
15%
17%
10%
5%
45%
27%
15%
24%
19%
23%
9%
You're contributing all you can afford
You are paying back debt other than college loans
You are saving for retirement through other vehicles
You don't want to lock up in a 401(k) money you
might need soon
You are saving for a child's education
You are paying back college loans
You don't need to save for retirement
Total Workers Baby Boomer Gen X Millennial
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Base: Workers, contributing below the maximum allowed to 401(k) (89%)
As you probably know, you are contributing less to your 401(k) than the IRS permits you
to defer from income. Please indicate below the extent to which any of the items below
are a reason for this.
Q.44
13. 1313
By Worker Generation
Influence of Match on Contribution
10%
11%
25%
15%
31%
23%
11%
22%
59%
66%
64%
63%
Millennial
Gen X
Baby Boomer
Total Workers
On factors other than the match terms To take partial advantage of this match
To take full advantage of this match
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Base: Workers, expecting an employer match (86%)
To what extent is your contribution rate determined by this match? You set your
contribution rate...
Q.46
14. 1414
By Worker Generation
Retirement Expectations
51%
49%
49%
36%
29%
26%
24%
57%
57%
49%
31%
29%
27%
13%
49%
49%
44%
35%
24%
28%
24%
48%
42%
56%
43%
36%
22%
36%
You will work at least part time in retirement
You will have to reduce your standard of living
You will have enough money to pay for health care
You will live as well or better as you did when you
were working
You will be able to leave money to family members
or charities
You will run out of money
You will be able to help out younger family
members with tuition or housing expenses
Total Workers Baby Boomer Gen X Millennial
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Base: Workers
Given the retirement savings you have in place right now and the rate at which you are
adding to those savings, which of the statements below do you expect will be true for
you in retirement?
Q.53
15. 1515
Base: Workers
Social Security
By Worker Generation
To what extent do you agree or disagree with each of the following statements about
Social Security? "I expect Social Security to go bankrupt before I retire."
Workers By Generation
Total Workers
(%)
Baby Boomer
(%)
Gen X
(%)
Millennial
(%)
Net: Agree 47 28 51 60
Strongly agree 15 6 17 21
Agree 32 22 34 39
Disagree 31 35 31 25
Strongly Disagree 23 37 18 15
Net: Disagree 53 72 49 40
Q.38
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17. 1717
By Worker Generation
True of Target Date Funds
81%
80%
80%
73%
72%
86%
81%
84%
59%
63%
85%
81%
80%
78%
75%
73%
79%
78%
74%
74%
Target date funds are managed by professionals meaning you
will potentially get better results than you would on your own
These funds hold a mix of asset classes which changes over
time so you don't have to make changes to your investments
as you get closer to retirement
It's better to hold additional funds in your 401(k) than just a
target date fund
The fees and expenses on target date funds in 401(k)s are
about the same as what you would pay for similar funds
outside of your 401(k) account
These funds are designed as a suitable investment to get you
not just to retirement, but through retirement as well
Total Workers Baby Boomer Gen X Millennial
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Base: Own target date funds (38%), excluding not applicable
As far as you know, which of the following statements are true and which are not true of
the target date funds you hold?
Q.83
18. 1818
By Worker Generation
True of Target Date Funds (cont.)
71%
66%
62%
50%
56%
56%
57%
36%
77%
69%
60%
47%
72%
68%
67%
59%
Because target date funds are approved for your 401(k) by
your employer, they are probably of high quality
Target date funds are usually less risky than balanced funds
These funds are designed as a suitable investment to get
you to retirement, but not through retirement
If you leave your job you can't take your target date fund with
you, you have to sell it and reinvest with your new plan or on
your own
Total Workers Baby Boomer Gen X Millennial
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Base: Own target date funds (38%), excluding not applicable
As far as you know, which of the following statements are true and which are not true of
the target date funds you hold?
Q.83
19. 1919
By Worker Generation
Market Value and Allocation of Assets
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Mean values unless otherwise indicated
Please indicate the current market value of these assets held by you or by other
members of your household. Of this total, please indicate the percentage held in…
Workers By Generation $ % Allocation
Baby
Boomer Gen X Millennial
Baby
Boomer Gen X Millennial
Self $433 $339 $228
Other member of household 179 202 184
Total household (mean) $612 $540 $412
Total household (median) $291 $173 $67
Stock including employer stock or stock mutual
funds excluding asset allocation funds 292 216 123 45 40 34
Bond or bond mutual funds excluding asset
allocation funds 121 114 97 20 19 19
Asset allocation funds 83 102 90 13 19 20
Money market mutual funds or checking and
savings accounts 117 109 103 23 22 28
Total household (mean) $612 $540 $412 100 100 100
Q.77-81
20. 2020
By Workers and Retirees
Satisfaction with Investments Overall
5%
3%
6%
5%
4%
16%
13%
13%
14%
10%
53%
56%
56%
55%
48%
26%
28%
25%
26%
38%
Millennial
Gen X
Baby Boomer
Total Workers
Retirees
Not satisfied at all Not very satisfied Somewhat satisfied Very satisfied
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All things considered, how satisfied are you with:
Q.84
21. 2121
By Worker Generation
Automatic Enrollment Summary
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As far as you recall, did you make a positive decision to enroll in your current 401(k)
plan or were you enrolled automatically with the choice to opt out? As far as you recall,
at what contribution rate were you automatically enrolled?
Workers By Generation
Total Workers
(%)
Baby Boomer
(%)
Gen X
(%)
Millennial
(%)
Enrolled automatically 15 14 13 20
Rate at which automatically enrolled
1% 24 34 15 24
2% 19 15 25 16
3% 20 14 23 21
4% 14 11 14 16
5% 11 8 12 12
6% 6 8 8 3
7% 1 1 1 2
Over 7% 5 10 2 5
Average % 3 3 3 3
Median % 3 3 3 3
Q.47, 48
Base: Workers enrolled automatically (15%)
22. 2222
By Worker Generation
Opt Out Rate
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Base: Workers enrolled automatically (15%)
At what contribution rate do you think you would have opted out instead of enrolling?
Workers By Generation
Total Workers
(%)
Baby Boomer
(%)
Gen X
(%)
Millennial
(%)
1% 0 0 0 0
2% 10 16 7 8
3% 10 9 9 11
4% 10 4 13 11
5% 12 16 11 10
6% 9 0 11 12
7% 8 5 6 13
8% 10 9 15 7
9% 2 0 2 2
10+% 31 41 27 27
Average % 7 7 7 6
Median % 7 8 6 6
Q.49
23. 2323
Base: Total workers who were enrolled automatically with the choice to opt out
Note choices in Q49 were limited to 1+ the value provided in Q.48 in increments of 1 up to 10% or more.
Automatic Enrollment Rate by Rate
Would Have Opted Out
Millennial Workers By Rate Would Have Opted Out Instead of Enrolling
At what contribution rate do you think you would have opted out instead of enrolling?
Automatic Enrollment Rate (%)
2% 3% 4% 5% 6% 7% 8% 9% 10%+ Average Median
N = 31 31 34 35 40 38 19 9 85 322 322
1% (24%) 32 21 23 13 2 2 0 0 8 4 3
2% (16%) 0 38 21 18 10 2 1 0 10 5 4
3% (21%) 0 0 9 14 22 12 5 1 38 7 7
4% (16%) 0 0 0 3 14 50 15 4 14 8 7
5% (12%) 0 0 0 0 27 12 10 9 42 8 9
6% (3%) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 8 92 10 10
7% (2%) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 9 91 10 10
Over 7% (5%) 0 0 0 0 0 0 44 0 56 9 10
Q.48
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24. 2424
By Worker Generation
Attitudes About Automatic Enrollment
78%
78%
69%
43%
29%
80%
80%
60%
34%
17%
77%
74%
71%
47%
31%
79%
80%
74%
47%
35%
I am satisfied that my employer automatically
enrolled me
Employers who offer a match should set the
automatic enrollment contribution rate high enough
for participants to take full advantage of the match
I am satisfied with the contribution rate at which my
employer enrolled me
I wish my employer had enrolled me at a higher
contribution rate
I wish my employer had enrolled me at a lower
contribution rate
Total Workers Baby Boomer Gen X Millennial
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Base: Workers enrolled automatically (15%), “agree completely or somewhat"
Please indicate the extent to which you agree or disagree with each of the statements
below about automatic enrollment in 401(k) plans.
Q.51
25. 2525
By Worker Generation
Automatic Escalation
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Base: Workers
Is your contribution rate set at its current level unless you change it, or does it go up
automatically each year unless you stop it?
81%
85%
90%
85%
19%
15%
10%
15%
Millennial
Gen X
Baby Boomer
Total Workers
Set at current level Goes up automatically each year
Q.50
27. 2727
By Workers
Dealing With Money
55%
42%
28%
9%
12%
7%
5%
5%
3%
2%
27%
34%
28%
30%
29%
26%
22%
19%
15%
11%
14%
19%
32%
47%
44%
48%
49%
51%
49%
47%
5%
6%
11%
14%
15%
18%
25%
25%
34%
40%
I avoid dealing with my financial situation
because it is out of control
I have trouble meeting my monthly expenses
I would benefit from having someone help me
with my spending and debt management
I commit to purchasing only what is on my
shopping list when I go to the store
I shop by going to the store for pre-selected
items that I have researched online
I save by any means necessary
I am more comfortable with saving and
investing extra money than with spending it
I save money by cutting my flexible expenses,
including entertainment, eating out and travel
I'm confident that my spending is well within
the limits of what I can afford
I'm pretty good at living within my means
Not Accurately At All Not Very Accurately Somewhat Accurately Very Accurately
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Please indicate how accurately each of the following statements describes you when it
comes to money.
Q.12
28. 2828
By Worker Generation
Dealing With Money
87%
82%
75%
74%
66%
89%
82%
72%
73%
63%
86%
82%
75%
74%
68%
88%
82%
79%
74%
67%
I'm pretty good at living within my means
I'm confident that my spending is well within the limits of what I
can afford
I save money by cutting my flexible expenses, including
entertainment, eating out and travel
I am more comfortable with saving and investing extra money
than with spending it
I save by any means necessary
Total Workers Baby Boomer Gen X Millennial
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Describes me “very or somewhat accurately"
Q.12
Please indicate how accurately each of the following statements describes you when it
comes to money.
29. 2929
By Worker Generation
Dealing With Money (cont.)
61%
59%
43%
25%
18%
58%
49%
24%
17%
8%
61%
60%
47%
27%
22%
63%
68%
58%
29%
25%
I commit to purchasing only what is on my shopping list when I go
to the store
I shop by going to the store for pre-selected items that I have
researched online
I would benefit from having someone help me with my spending
and debt management
I have trouble meeting my monthly expenses
I avoid dealing with my financial situation because it is out of
control
Total Workers Baby Boomer Gen X Millennial
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Describes me “very or somewhat accurately"
Please indicate how accurately each of the following statements describes you when it
comes to money.
Q.12
30. 3030
By Worker Generation
Managing Spending
74%
73%
71%
62%
47%
32%
67%
61%
56%
64%
55%
41%
20%
57%
75%
76%
73%
64%
49%
35%
69%
84%
86%
75%
67%
51%
42%
75%
This year, you plan to make managing your financial situation
a higher priority
This year, you plan to improve your budgeting process and
better manage your spending to a budget
You track expenses carefully
You stick to a spending budget
You have a formal spending budget but it does not use
spreadsheets or online applications
You have a formal spending budget which uses
spreadsheets or online applications
Net: Have a written spending budget
Total Workers Baby Boomer Gen X Millennial
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"True"
When it comes to managing spending, which of the following statements are true or not
true for you?
Q.15
31. 3131
By Worker Generation
Credit Card Spending
32%
25%
19%
25%
68%
75%
81%
75%
Millennial
Gen X
Baby Boomer
Total Workers
Manage differently About the same way
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In the year ahead, do you expect to manage your credit card spending and debt about
the same way you managed it in the past year, or do you expect do manage your credit
cards and credit card debt differently?
Q.13
32. 3232
By Worker Generation
Managing Credit Cards Differently
69%
66%
38%
32%
14%
10%
4%
74%
82%
21%
26%
16%
1%
2%
65%
63%
42%
37%
13%
9%
5%
70%
59%
44%
29%
13%
16%
4%
Pay down existing credit card debt
Decrease your use of credit cards
Pay your credit cards in full each month
Stop using credit cards for new purchases
Refinance credit card debt at a lower interest rate
Increase your use of credit cards
Increase your credit card debt
Total Workers Baby Boomer Gen X Millennial
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Base: Expect to manage credit cards differently (25%)
Please indicate below how you expect to manage your credit card spending and debt in
the year ahead.
Q.14
33. 3333
By Worker Generation
#1 Funding Financial Priority
27%
22%
21%
15%
26%
29%
11%
16%
27%
21%
23%
15%
28%
17%
27%
12%
Paying down debt
Contributing to your 401(k) at the level required to
take full advantage of a matching contribution your
employer may offer but less than the maximum
contribution limit
Contributing to your 401(k) but below the level
required to take full advantage of a matching
contribution your employer may offer
Contributing to your 401(k) at the maximum
contribution limit
Total Workers Baby Boomer Gen X Millennial
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Base: Workers, ranked at least one item (98%)
In terms of how your household is funding financial priorities this year, please rank which
of the items below comes first, which comes second, which third and so on until the end
of the list. If an item does not apply to you or isn’t a priority at all, enter a rank of zero..
Q.55
34. 3434
By Worker Generation
#1 Funding Financial Priority (cont.)
6%
4%
4%
2%
1%
7%
5%
3%
2%
1%
4%
3%
4%
1%
2%
7%
2%
3%
2%
1%
Contributing to an emergency fund
Contributing to a Roth IRA
Contributing to a traditional IRA
Contributing to a health savings account (HSA) to fund
some qualified medical expenses on a pre-tax basis
Contributing to a 529 college savings account or other
educational savings vehicle
Total Workers Baby Boomer Gen X Millennial
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Base: Workers, ranked at least one item (98%)
In terms of how your household is funding financial priorities this year, please rank which
of the items below comes first, which comes second, which third and so on until the end
of the list. If an item does not apply to you or isn’t a priority at all, enter a rank of zero..
Q.55
35. 3535
By Worker Generation
Sources of Funds for Emergency
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If you suddenly faced an emergency that required more cash than you had on hand, to
which of the following sources of funds would you turn?
Workers By Generation
Total Workers
(%)
Baby Boomer
(%)
Gen X
(%)
Millennial
(%)
Credit cards 52 43 53 57
A special emergency fund account you have
established for such needs 37 36 37 39
Family members or friends 35 17 35 55
Your after-tax personal savings and investments 28 36 24 25
A special emergency fund you mentally earmark
for such needs 21 20 21 22
Home equity loan 16 19 18 11
Other bank loan 13 11 13 15
Your balances in tax-deferred workplace
retirement accounts 12 14 11 11
No emergency fund available 4 4 5 3
Q.19
36. 3636
By Worker Generation
Advised
62%
65%
64%
64%
5%
1%
2%
2%
6%
3%
3%
26%
31%
35%
31%
Millennial
Gen X
Baby
Boomer
Total
Workers
Never had a paid financial advisor
Ever have both a paid traditional advisor and a paid robo advisor
Ever have a paid robo advisor only
Ever have a paid traditional advisor only
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Do you currently have (In the past five years, have you had) a relationship with a
professional financial advisor—that's someone you pay either through fees or
commissions—to assist you in financial decisions, financial product selection, planning
your retirement income or in selecting providers of financial services? To be clear, this
could be either a traditional advisor or a so-called robo advisor (that’s to say an online,
algorithm-driven, low-cost advice platform with limited personal interaction such as
Betterment or WealthFront) or both?
Q.27, 28
37. 3737
By Worker Generation
On Track to Meet Financial Goals
4%
7%
12%
7%
18%
25%
23%
22%
57%
53%
51%
53%
20%
16%
14%
17%
Millennial
Gen X
Baby
Boomer
Total
Workers
Not comfortable at all Not very comfortable Somewhat comfortable Very comfortable
All things considered, how comfortable are you that you are on track to meet your
financial goals?
Q.31
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38. 3838
By Worker Generation
Financial Well-Being Compared With Parents
8%
8%
9%
8%
20%
26%
26%
24%
48%
48%
46%
47%
24%
19%
20%
21%
Millennial
Gen X
Baby
Boomer
Total
Workers
Much worse off financially Somewhat worse off financially
Somewhat better off financially Much better off financially
Compared with how your parents lived when they were the age you are now, would you
say you are:
Q.30
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39. 3939
By Worker Generation
Perceived Job Security
38%
33%
39%
36%
32%
38%
35%
35%
22%
21%
18%
21%
7%
8%
8%
8%
Millennial
Gen X
Baby
Boomer
Total
Workers
Not concerned at all Not very concerned Somewhat concerned Very concerned
Base: Workers
How concerned are you that you may lose your job in the next 12 months:
Q.32
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41. 4141
By Workers
Age
Q. 2
How old are you?
Workers by Generations
Total Workers Baby Boomer Gen X Millennial
Birth years 1946–1964 1965–1980 1981–1996
Age at time of study 50–68 34–49 18–33
% % % %
Under 25 8 0 0 26
25–29 12 0 0 40
30–34 14 0 10 34
35–39 10 0 24 0
40–44 14 0 34 0
45–49 13 0 33 0
50–54 10 32 0 0
55–59 10 34 0 0
60–64 7 22 0 0
65–69 3 11 0 0
70+ 1 2 0 0
Average age 42 58 42 27
Q.2
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42. 4242
Millennial Workers By 401(k) Participation
Size of Organization
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Base: Millennial workers
If you had to guess, about how many people work for your employer at all levels and in
all locations across the United States?
Total Millennial
Workers Active
in 401(k) (%)
99 or fewer 16
100 to 249 14
250 to 499 12
500 to 999 11
1,000 to 2,499 11
2,500 to 4,999 9
5,000 to 9,999 7
10,000 or more 20
Average # employees 3,398
Median # employees 830
43. 4343
By Worker Generation
Work Status
13%
5%
10%
9%
87%
95%
90%
91%
Millennial
Gen X
Baby
Boomer
Total
Workers
Never retired, now working part-time Never retired, now working full-time
Base: Workers
Bearing in mind some people retire and go back to work, which one of the following
phrases best describes your work situation?
Q.1
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44. 4444
By Worker Generation
Level of Qualification for Position
1%
1%
2%
1%
73%
74%
78%
75%
26%
24%
20%
24%
Millennial
Gen X
Baby Boomer
Total Workers
I am underqualified for this job My qualifications for this job are about right I am overqualified for this job
Base: Workers
How would you describe the fit between your skills, education, and experience and your
current job?
Q.58
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45. 4545
Millennial Workers By 401(k) Participation
Tenure at Current Employer
Base: Millennial workers
About how long have you worked for your current employer?
Total Millennial
Workers Active
in 401(k) (%)
Under 1 year 10
1 year 7
2 years 17
3–4 years 26
5–9 years 30
10–14 years 8
15+ years 3
Average # 5
Median # 4
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46. 4646
By Worker Generation
Pay Raise
Base: Workers
How much of a raise (as a percent), if any, did you get in the past 12 months?
Workers By Generation
Total Workers
(%)
Baby Boomer
(%)
Gen X
(%)
Millennial
(%)
0% 25 33 23 18
1% 9 10 8 9
2% 16 15 18 15
3% 18 22 18 15
4% 6 6 5 6
5% 11 6 12 16
6–9% 7 4 6 12
10+% 8 5 10 10
Average % (including none) 3 2 3 4
Median % (including none) 3 2 3 3
Average % (excluding none) 4 4 4 5
Median % (excluding none) 3 3 3 4
Q.35
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47. 4747
Personal and Household Income and Total Debt
Total
Workers
(%)
Baby
Boomer
(%)
Gen X
(%)
Millennial
(%)
N = 3,026 514 1,007 1,505
Average personal income ($ in thousands) $82 $85 $90 $69
Median personal income ($ in thousands) $70 $72 $79 $57
Average household income ($ in thousands) $127 $119 $139 $117
Median household income ($ in thousands) $113 $108 $120 $100
Total debt (average $) $48 $29 $62 $48
None 22 32 19 16
Any to <$5,000 9 7 8 11
$5,000 to <$50,000 34 35 35 33
$50,000 to <$500,000 20 16 23 21
$500,000 or more 1 0 1 1
Total Workers by Generation
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49. 4949
Millennial Workers By 401(k) Participation
Age
Under 25
26%
25-29
40%
30-34
34%
TOTAL MILLENNIAL WORKERS ACTIVE
IN 401(k)
Under 25
32%
25-29
38%
30-34
31%
MILLENNIALS ELIGIBLE BUT NOT
CONTRIBUTING TO 401(k)
Q.B
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50. 5050
Millennial Workers By 401(k) Participation
Gender
Male
59%
Female
41%
TOTAL MILLENNIAL WORKERS ACTIVE
IN 401(k)
Base: Millennial workers
What is your gender?
Male
32%
Female
68%
MILLENNIALS ELIGIBLE BUT NOT
CONTRIBUTING TO 401(k)
Q.A
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51. 5151
Millennial Workers By 401(k) Participation
Education
High
school or
less
24%
Some
college
34%
Four year
college
degree or
more
42%
TOTAL MILLENNIAL WORKERS ACTIVE
IN 401(k)
Base: Millennial workers
What is your education level?
High school
or less
13%
Some
college
47%
Four year
college
degree or
more
41%
MILLENNIALS ELIGIBLE BUT NOT
CONTRIBUTING TO 401(k)
Q.103/ (ENP Q.48)
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52. 5252
Millennial Workers By 401(k) Participation
Marital Status
Married or
civil union
42%
Divorced/
Separated/
Widowed
3%
Never
married
43%
Living with
partner
13%
TOTAL MILLENNIAL WORKERS ACTIVE
IN 401(k)
Base: Millennial workers
What is your marital status?
Married or
civil union
35%
Divorced/
Separated/
Widowed
4%
Never
married
46%
Living with
partner
15%
MILLENNIALS ELIGIBLE BUT NOT
CONTRIBUTING TO 401(k)
Q.102/ (ENP Q.47)
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53. 5353
Millennial Workers By 401(k) Participation
Tenure at Current Employer
Base: Millennial workers
About how long have you worked for your current employer?
Total Millennial
Workers Active
in 401(k) (%)
Millennials Eligible but
not contributing to
401(k) (%)
Under 1 year 10 32
1 year 7 13
2 years 17 17
3–4 years 26 17
5–9 years 30 15
10–14 years 8 6
15+ years 3 0
Average # 5 3
Median # 4 2
Q.57/ (ENP Q.31)
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54. 5454
Millennial Workers By 401(k) Participation
Pay Raise
Base: Millennial workers
How much of a raise (as a percent), if any, did you get in the past 12 months?
Total Millennial
Workers Active in
401(k) (%)
Millennials Eligible
but not contributing
to 401(k) (%)
0% 18 42
1% 9 12
2% 15 11
3% 15 9
4% 6 4
5% 16 8
6–9% 12 6
10+% 10 8
Average % 4 2
Median % 3 1
Average % (excluding none) 5 4
Median % (excluding none) 4 3
Q.35/ (ENP Q.20)
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55. 5555
Millennial Workers By 401(k) Participation
Student Loan Debt
Base: Millennial workers
How much debt does your household have when it comes to student loans?
Total Millennial
Workers Active in
401(k) (%)
Millennials Eligible but
not contributing to
401(k) (%)
None 49 34
Less than $1,000 3 2
$1,000 to < $5,000 11 10
$5,000 to < $15,000 10 14
$15,000 to < $25,000 9 9
$25,000 to < $50,000 8 16
$50,000 to <$500,000 9 15
$500,000 or more 0 0
Average $ in thousands (excluding None) $31 $39
Median $ in thousands (excluding None) $16 $22
Q.93/ (ENP Q.39)
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56. 5656
Millennial Workers By 401(k) Participation
Direction of Debt
8%
14%
26%
37%
28%
35%
26%
11%
12%
4%
Millennials Eligible not
Contributing to 401(k) (83%)
Total Millennial Workers
Active in 401(k) (80%)
Much smaller Somewhat smaller About the same Somewhat larger Much larger
Base: Millennial workers, have $1,000 or more in debt
Thinking about this debt all together, that’s home equity loans, car loans, credit card
debt, student loans and other consumer credit, how does that amount compare to a
year ago?
Q.94/ (ENP Q.40)
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57. 5757
Millennial Workers By 401(k) Participation
Dealing With Money
41%
35%
30%
28%
22%
20%
18%
15%
8%
8%
23%
21%
16%
38%
15%
13%
19%
12%
13%
7%
I'm pretty good at living within my means
I'm confident that my spending is well within the limits
of what I can afford
I am more comfortable with saving and investing extra
money than with spending it
I save money by cutting my flexible expenses, including
entertainment, eating out and travel
I save by any means necessary
I shop by going to the store for pre-selected items that I
have researched online
I would benefit from having someone help me with my
spending and debt management
I commit to purchasing only what is on my shopping list
when I go to the store
I have trouble meeting my monthly expenses
I avoid dealing with my financial situation because it is
out of control
Total Millennial Workers Active in 401(k) Millennials Eligible but not Contributing to 401(k)
Base: Millennial workers, describes me “very accurately"
Please indicate how accurately each of the following statements describes you when it
comes to money.
Q.12/ (ENP Q.9)
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58. 5858
Millennial Workers By 401(k) Participation
Major Reasons for Contributing Below the Maximum
45%
27%
24%
23%
19%
15%
9%
38%
42%
22%
35%
10%
8%
4%
You're contributing all you can afford
You are paying back debt other than college loans
You don't want to lock up in a 401(k) money you
might need soon
You are paying back college loans
You are saving for a child's education
You are saving for retirement through other vehicles
You don't need to save for retirement
Total Millennial Workers Active in 401(k) (88%) Millennials Eligible but not contributing to 401(k) (98%)
Base: Millennial workers, not contributing or expect to contribute below the maximum allowed to 401(k)
As you probably know, you are contributing less to your 401(k) than the IRS permits you
to defer from income. Please indicate below the extent to which any of the items below
are a reason for this.
Q.44/ (ENP Q.28)
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59. 5959
Millennial Workers By 401(k) Participation
Financial Well-Being Compared With Parents
15%
8%
28%
20%
44%
48%
13%
24%
Millennials Eligible but not Contributing to
401(k)
Total Millennial Workers Active in 401(k)
Much worse off financially Somewhat worse off financially
Somewhat better off financially Much better off financially
Base: Millennial workers
Compared with how your parents lived when they were the age you are now, would you
say you are:
Q.30/ (ENP Q.16)
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62. 6262
By Retirees
How Long Ago Retired
1
28%
2
20%3
20%
4
12%
5
19%
Base: Retirees; average: 2.7 years, median 3.0 years
About how long ago did you retire:
Q.8
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63. 6363
By Retirees
Work Status
Retired and not working
or looking for work
68%
Retired but now looking
for work
9%
Full-time as an
employee
4%
Part-time as an
employee
10%
Full-time as a contractor
2%
Part-time as a contractor
6%
Base: Retirees
Bearing in mind that some people retire and then go back to work, which one of the
following phrases best describes your work situation?
Retired but now
working (22%)…
Q.1
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64. 6464
By Retirees
Relative Earnings
A great deal more
7%
Somewhat more
11%
About the same
18%
Somewhat less
24%
A great deal less
40%
Base: Retirees working full or part-time (22%)
Hour-for-hour worked, how much money do you make today compared with what you
made before you retired?
Q.64
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65. 6565
By Retirees
Relative Hours
Working much longer
than you did
8% Working somewhat
longer than you did
5%
Working about as long
as you did
9%
Working somewhat less
than you did
25%
Working much less than
you did
53%
Base: Retirees working full or part-time (22%)
In terms of hours, are you:
Q.65
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66. 6666
By Retirees
Rejoined the Workforce Because...
Mainly because you
wanted to
69%
Mainly because you had
to
31%
Base: Retirees working full or part-time (22%)
When you rejoined the workforce after retiring did you do so:
Q.66
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67. 6767
By Retirees
Looking for Work Because...
Mainly because you
want to
73%
Mainly because you
have to
27%
Base: Retirees looking for work (9%)
Are you looking for work:
Q.67
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68. 6868
Trend by Retirees
Has a Withdrawal Plan
51%
48%
2015
2014
Base: Retirees
Thinking about your investable assets—that’s your stocks, stock mutual funds, bonds,
bond mutual funds, asset allocation funds including target date funds, money market
mutual funds and other cash equivalents whether held in a 401(k), an Individual
Retirement Account or outside the workplace savings system and any savings and
checking accounts you may have—do you have a withdrawal plan under which you
withdraw and use as income a certain portion of these assets each year?
Q.70
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69. 6969
By Retirees
% Investable Assets Withdrawn
36%
11%
9%
7% 7%
10%
3%
9% 9%
None 1% 2% 3% 4% 5% 6%-7% 8%-10% 11%+
Base: Retirees; average 5.5% (excluding none)
About what percentage of your investable assets did you withdraw in the past 12 months?
Q.71
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70. 7070
By Retirees
Organizing Retirement Income
67%
63%
63%
56%
49%
37%
I don't plan to use my 401(k) or IRA balances until I
am required to do so at age 70 1/2
I wouldn't use my 401(k) or IRA balances at all if I
weren't required to
I live mainly on Social Security or a pension so I only
withdraw investable assets on an ad hoc basis
I plan to live off the interest and dividends from my
portfolio and not invade the principal until later in
retirement
I pace my withdrawals from my investable assets to
match my expenses
I take a specific percentage of my investable assets
each year
"Very or Somewhat closely" Base: Retirees
Here are several ways of organizing income in retirement. For each, please indicate how
closely it describes your situation.
Q.72
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71. 7171
By Workers and Retirees
Sources of Retirement Income (Mean %)
Base: Including none, items sum to 100%
Approximately what percentage of your household income do you expect this source to
provide in retirement? Approximately what percentage of your household income does
this provide?
Workers By Generation
Retirees
(%)
Total
Workers
(%)
Baby
Boomer
(%)
Gen X
(%)
Millennial
(%)
Social Security 42 27 36 26 21
A traditional DB pension plan or cash balance plan 18 7 9 6 6
Earnings from employment including self-employment 10 6 5 5 7
Income from personal investment and savings accounts
apart from IRAs and Roth IRAs 7 6 7 6 5
Income from IRAs or Roth IRAs 7 6 7 6 5
Other workplace retirement plans 6 1 1 1 1
401(k), Roth 401(k), 403(b), 457, profit sharing, money
purchase or other type of TDDCRP provided through
your workplace 4 40 30 42 47
Income from an inheritance 2 3 1 3 3
Annuities you purchased on your own outside work 2 2 2 2 2
Annuities you purchased through your workplace 1 1 0 1 1
Income from the sale of your primary residence 0 1 1 1 2
SEP or SIMPLE retirement plan 0 1 0 1 1
Insurance payouts 0 0 0 0 1
Q.37, 63
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72. 7272
By Retirees
Compared With When Working
Living about as well as
you did then
46%
Living comfortably but
less well than you did
then
34%
Living better than you
did then
12%
Struggling to make ends
meet
8%
Base: Retirees
Compared with when you were working, would you say you are now:
Q.61
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73. 7373
By Retirees
Proportion of Annual Income Replaced
1%
6%
11%
24%
30%
15% 15%
None (0%) 1-20% 21-40% 41-60% 61-80% 81-99% 100%
Base: Retirees; Average: 67%
About what proportion of the annual income this household had before you retired does
this household have today?
Q.68
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74. 7474
Trend by Retirees
True of My Retirement
66%
54%
47%
32%
27%
24%
11%
I have enough money to pay for health care
I live as well or better as I did when I was
working
I will be able to leave money to family
members or charities
I will have to reduce my standard of living
I will work at least part time in retirement
I will be able to help out younger family
members with tuition or housing expenses
I will run out of money
Base: Retirees
Given your savings, income, and expenditures, which of the following statements are
true of your retirement?
Q.69
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75. 7575
Trend by Retirees
Financial Well-Being Compared With Parents
5%
5%
20%
20%
44%
44%
30%
31%
2014
2015
Much worse off financially Somewhat worse off financially
Somewhat better off financially Much better off financially
Note only asked of retirees in 2014
Base: Retirees
Compared with how your parents lived when they were the age you are now, would you
say you are:
Q.30
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76. 7676
Trend by Retirees
On Track to Meet Financial Goals
6%
3%
16%
12%
51%
56%
27%
29%
2014
2015
Not comfortable at all Not very comfortable Somewhat comfortable Very comfortable
All things considered, how comfortable are you that you are on track to meet your
financial goals?
Q.31
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77. 7777
Trend by Retirees
Satisfaction in Retirement
3%
2%
9%
10%
45%
46%
44%
42%
2014
2015
Not satisfied at all Not very satisfied Somewhat satisfied Very satisfied
Base: Retirees
All things considered, how satisfied would you say you are with your retirement so far:
Q.60
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Editor's Notes Quiet/Bold Headlines
The first line establishes a premise with a few well-chosen words. The second line should add meaning to the premise established by the first line.