Want the latest retirement plan adviser news and insights? Sign up for PLANADVISER newsletters.
Data & Research January 30, 2026
Retirement Income Strategies, by the Numbers
Nearly half of 2025 PLANSPONSOR Plan Participant Survey participants reported having less than $100,000 in total retirement savings.
Reported by Edward Rueda
What strategies do retirement plan participants have for retirement income? The 2025 PLANSPONSOR Plan Participant Survey, published by sister publication PLANSPONSOR, polled both full-time and part-time adult employees who are current participants in their employer’s retirement plan.
Of the 1,714 respondents who shared their expected retirement age, 60% said they hoped or expected to retire by age 65. More than one-quarter (28%) said they expect to retire at age 70 or later. While a majority of respondents expressed confidence that they can achieve a secure retirement by an expected date, more than 40% showed little or no confidence or were uncertain.
How Confident Are You That You Will Achieve a Secure Retirement by Your Planned Retirement Age?
- Very confident
- Confident
- Unsure
- Somewhat/A little confident
- Not at all confident
2025 PLANSPONSOR Participant Survey
Estimating their total retirement savings in all accounts, 48% of survey participants reported having less than $100,000. Nearly 94% of respondents had less than $1.5 million—still shy of the “magic number” of $1.57 million that Northwestern Mutual’s 2025 Planning & Progress Study found was the average estimate of savings needed for a “comfortable” retirement.
Given their potential shortfall in retirement savings, what did PLANSPONSOR Plan Participant Survey respondents think of potential retirement income sources?
The 12th annual PLANSPONSOR Participant Survey, performed in partnership with first-party-data company Dynata LLC, was fielded in October 2025 using the Qualtrics online survey platform. There were 2,458 respondents, aged 18 through 70 years old. The respondent pool was slightly more male (55.8%), and 69.4% were in their 30s or 40s. The most common household income range reported was $100,000 to $149,999, representing 23.7% of participants.
« Longevity Risk Requires Accurate Measurements, Adequate Solutions