Short Takes: Third of Retirees Say They Should Have Planned Better

U.S. retirees polled in a recent survey have plenty of regrets about their retirement planning skills. And judging from their responses, they should.

Twenty-nine percent of the 501 retirees questioned in a Louis Harris & Associates telephone poll said they didn't begin to plan for retirement until they were 60.

It is therefore no surprise that 34% of the seniors polled had regrets about the way they had prepared for their retirement years.

"Retirees who feel they did not do enough planning most often say they simply should have saved more," the survey concluded.

In a case of the pot calling the kettle black, 72% of those polled critized young people's preparation for their retirement years. Many encouraged young people to save more and stop buying so much on credit.

Two-thirds of the retirees surveyed have experienced at least one personal and financial crisis since retirement. And while only 14% said they are struggling to get by, 44% of those polled said they didn't have enough for all they wanted to do in life.

For reprint and licensing requests for this article, click here.
MORE FROM AMERICAN BANKER