Fifty-seven percent of Americans say they are either a little or far behind financially in terms of preparing for retirement, according to a new survey.
The survey, by TD Ameritrade Holding Corp., found that those reporting being a little behind (36 percent) outnumbered those who said they were far behind (21 percent).
When asked the reason for being behind in their retirement savings, 56 percent of respondents said they have little or no money left for savings after meeting their regular expenses, and 56 percent of respondents also said they started saving for retirement later in life.
Of the 57 percent who reported they were behind in their retirement savings, 61 percent of women reported that raising children set them back, compared with 43 percent of men who reported the same. Meanwhile, 47 percent of women cited "having to work longer to supplement Social Security income" as one of their top two concerns as they approach retirement, as compared to 35 percent of men.
Forty-two percent of men cited "outliving savings" as one of their top two concerns as they approach retirement, compared to 37 percent of women. Ten percent of women reported "extreme stress" in regards to managing their retirement savings compared to 4 percent of men who reported the same.
However, despite these differences, respondents of both genders agreed on one thing that coping with health care expenses is a top concern as they approach retirement. This challenge was the second-most voiced concern, with both 38 percent of women and 38 percent of men admitting they were worried about it.
