According to a new study from Lincoln Financial Group, the Lincoln Financial Life Stages Study: Retirement Power, those planning for retirement should aim to hit a savings benchmark of at least 10 times their income at typical retirement age.

The study, which analyzed the savings profiles and behaviors of nearly 1,200 retirees who achieved various levels of savings in preparing for retirement, found that retirees who reached high income-to-assets ratios used various pro-active retirement savings behaviors to achieve success:

• Getting advice from a financial professional.
• Participating in an employer-sponsored retirement plan or IRA.
• Saving steadily, and making extra contributions in "power-saving" years.
• Having an investment strategy.

The research also identified three behaviors retirees who reached the 10-times goal didn't rely on. Those behaviors are:

• Receiving an inheritance.
• Selling a primary home or making money through real estate.
• Selling a business or shares in a former employer's company stock.

To determine what 10X means to a particular saver, individuals multiple their annual income by 10. The goal evolves as income changes throughout a lifetime, allowing people to improve their numbers incrementally as they save, and measure how they stack up relative to their overall savings goals. This assets-to-income ratio can help Americans monitor their retirement savings progress at every stage of their lives.

The study reinforces Lincoln's recommendations for actions that lead to better retirement outcomes.  

1. Know your assets-to-income ratio – at retirement, 10 times your income is a possible target 
2. Track your milestone progress – are you at 1X, 4X, 11X?
3. Pro-actively manage your savings by following the same strategies used by those successful in retirement, and don't rely on windfalls which may never come.