Average American Feels Alone in Retirement Planning

Less than half (45%) of those surveyed are working with a professional financial adviser, and among those who are not, 49% believe financial advisers are not interested in them because they do not have enough money, according to a press release of the results.

Average Americans feel they just cannot get ahead when it comes to saving for retirement, and 67% of respondents do not know quite where to turn for help, according to the survey results. Seventy-two percent agree that no one is looking out for the average person.

The release said more than half (59%) of the average working Americans surveyed give themselves a grade of C or worse when it comes to financially preparing for retirement, and most believe the odds are 50% or less that they will be able to retire when they want to retire.

The survey indicated average Americans could have a better plan in place for retirement. Only 22% of surveyed Americans have a formal written plan for retirement. Furthermore, 55% of those surveyed have not set their 401(k) contribution to the maximum allowed, 78% of those eligible have not made a catch-up contribution to a retirement plan.

The survey of 750 adults age 40 or older in pre-retired households was conducted by phone from August 1 to August 21 by Mathew Greenwald & Associates. Survey respondents had an annual household income between $35,000 and $100,000—which describes approximately half of all U.S. households—and had between $10,000 and $150,000 in savings and investments.