As financial pressures mount on the shoulders of working Americans, clouds are forming over their retirement dreams. According to recent consumer sentiment data from Principal, nearly half (44%) of Americans don’t feel “financially included,” or that they will have the financial freedom to live and do as they wish in retirement.

The Global Financial Inclusion Index data also found that:

Nearly 6-in-10 Americans (57%) expect to work past the age of 65. On top of that, nearly one-fifth (18%) expect to work nearly a decade past retirement age (65).
Women are more pessimistic about their retirement. More women expect to work later in life and less than 40% feel they will be able to live as they wish in retirement.

We discussed the data with Chris Littlefield, president of Retirement and Income Solutions at Principal Financial Group, a top three retirement 401(k) provider with $1.6 trillion in assets under administration, to further understand what the government, financial institutions, and employers can do to continue supporting the holistic financial and retirement needs of Americans.

Instant Insights /

Financially included? Not so much, say nearly half of Americans

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