Data & ResearchFebruary 28, 2011

Only Half of Retirees Factor in Inflation

Seventy-two percent of pre-retirees and 55% of retirees are calculating the effects of inflation on their retirement planning, according to the Society of Actuaries (SOA).

Reported by Rebecca Moore

The report, Process of Planning and Personal Risk Management, says pre-retirees are more likely than retirees to express concern about inflation, investment and longevity risks. For example, seven in 10 pre-retirees (71%) are very or somewhat concerned about inflation risk, compared with six in 10 retirees (58%). Similarly, six in 10 pre-retirees (62%) and half of retirees (52%) are concerned about interest rate changes impacting their retirement.

Pre-retirees are also more likely than retirees to report being concerned about depleting their savings (58% vs. 47%) and maintaining a reasonable standard of living (56% vs. 45%). Compounding inflation and savings concerns, 39% of pre-retirees and 36% of retirees withdraw money from their savings as needed with no set plan.

Other survey findings include:

Only 5% of pre-retirees have a planning horizon to or beyond their life expectancy.
Few individuals look 20 years or more into the future when making important financial decisions (13% for pre-retirees and 7% for retirees).
Sixty-eight percent of retirees create a plan to manage their money and how to spend it each year so they do not outlive their finances.
Seventy-three percent of retirees consider allocating their investments and savings to different types of assets. Only 24% of retirees have already purchased or plan to buy a product with guaranteed income for life.
Ninety percent of pre-retirees have already eliminated or plan to eliminate all of their consumer debt as a means to protect them financially (81% for retirees).

The survey was conducted through telephone interviews of 804 adults ages 45 to 80 in July 2009 and asked respondents about a number of risks relating to retirement.