More than 80 percent of higher education faculty say they are confident they will have enough money to live comfortably in retirement, but a very small percentage of them have actually done the math to figure out if the money they've saved will produce enough income in their later years.

According to Fidelity Investments' "Higher Education Faculty Study," this lack of planning could result in faculty members reaching retirement age but not wanting to retire. They also won't feel prepared for long-term expenses or know how to turn their retirement assets into regular income.

Fidelity found that the majority of older faculty members need some form of financial guidance. Thirty-one percent said they are asking for help in developing a retirement income plan; 36 percent are choosing specific investment; and 30 percent are assessing an overall financial plan.