Three out of four women (75 percent) agree that they do not know as much as they should about retirement investing. “Despite unique challenges that women face, there are important opportunities within reach that can help them improve their retirement outlook, such as getting savvy about saving and investing,” said Collinson.
Every Woman Needs Her Own Retirement Strategy
Slightly more than half of women (52 percent) said they have some form of retirement strategy. However, only 11 percent have a written strategy. Of the women who have a strategy, whether it is written or not, many are overlooking key elements that should be taken into account. Only two out of three women (65 percent) consider ongoing living expenses as part of this plan. And, fewer than one in four (24 percent) factored in costs associated with long-term care.
Statistically speaking, women live longer than men. This longer life expectancy means women need to save more for retirement to cover expenses ranging from cost of living and healthcare. However, women estimate they will need less savings ($500,000 median) than men ($750,000 median). Equally as concerning, the majority of women (56 percent) answered they had “guessed” when asked about how they arrived at their retirement savings needs.
Retirement clearly impacts families. However, fewer than one in 10 women (nine percent) frequently discuss saving and planning with family and friends. An open dialogue with those they trust confiding in about expectations of support should be part of every woman’s strategy.
Among Baby Boomers, an alarmingly low percentage of women (20 percent) have a backup plan if retirement happens sooner than expected. “Life’s unforeseen circumstances such as a job loss, health issues, or family obligations can derail the best of intentions,” said Collinson. “Especially with so many women planning to delay retirement or continue working part-time in retirement, a backup plan is an essential part of a retirement strategy.”
Helping Women Achieve Retirement Readiness
When asked what would motivate them to learn more about saving and investing for retirement, the majority of women (58 percent) would like educational materials that are easier to understand and/or a good starting point that is easy to understand.
Many women would like advice about their retirement savings, including 51 percent who seek advice but want to make their own decisions and 19 percent who want someone else to handle their retirement savings on their behalf; however, only 35 percent reported using a professional advisor.
This survey found that marriage positively influences the retirement outlook of both women and men. Married people tend to be more proactive in terms of saving, planning, and discussing retirement with family and friends. However, it’s important to keep in mind that marital status can change — so it is vital that every woman and man have a strategy for retirement.
Seven Tips for Women to Improve Their Retirement Readiness
How each woman ultimately plans on spending her retirement is unique, but the tools to help attain retirement readiness are common to all, including:
1. Develop a retirement strategy and write it down.
2. Calculate your retirement savings needs – and save at a level to achieve those needs.
3. Consider retirement benefits as part of your total compensation. If your employer doesn’t offer you a plan, ask for one.
4. If your employer offers a plan, participate and defer as much as you can.
5. Get educated about retirement investing. Seek professional assistance if needed.
6. Have a backup plan in the event you are unable to work before your planned retirement.
7. Talk about retirement with family and close friends. An open dialogue with trusted love ones about expectations of either needing to provide or receive financial support should be part of every woman’s retirement strategy.
The study also outlines key steps that can be taken to help women capture a more secure retirement – steps that call for joint outreach efforts from the retirement industry (including retirement plan providers and advisors), employers, the media, policymakers, and other organizations that are dedicated to helping women achieve a financially secure retirement. This full list of key outreach elements and a series of recommendations are available online.
This survey was conducted online within the United States by Harris Interactive on behalf of Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies® between January 13, 2012 and January 31, 2012 among 3,609 full-time and part-time workers including 1,818 women and 1,719 men. Potential respondents were targeted based on job title and full-time and part-time status. Respondents met the following criteria: U.S. residents, age 18 or older, full-time workers or part-time workers in for-profit companies, and employer size of 10 or more. Results were weighted as needed for the number of employees at companies in each employee size range. No estimates of theoretical sampling error can be calculated; a full methodology is available at TransAmerica.
TCRS 1080-0313
Illustration: US Department of Labor's article, Taking the Mystery Out of Retirement Planning
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