Married Baby Boomers are much more likely to have retirement savings and a retirement savings goal. More than eight in 10 married Baby Boomers (81.9%) report having retirement savings and 55.7% have gone through the process of calculating a retirement savings goal, compared with only 66.6% and 40.8%, respectively, for singles.
Another significant difference is that Baby Boomer couples are far less likely to be relying on social security for retirement income, with 37.1% expecting to lean on it as a major income source, compared with 52.7% for single Baby Boomers.
Boomer couples will instead rely on 401(k) retirement plans to be a significant income source in retirement. Almost half (47.1%) are relying on an employer-provided plan compared to only 27.8% of singles, according to IRI.
Even though married Boomers are better prepared than singles, they are still in dire need of help as less than 40% are confident in attaining financial security in retirement, IRI said in a statement.
“Considering that just over half of all Boomer couples have not met with a financial advisor, significant opportunities remain to meet the needs of this key demographic,” IRI President and CEO Cathy Weatherford said in a statement.
Of course, that doesn’t dismiss the needs of struggling singles who are even less confident about their retirement future than their married friends. Only 28% of singles are confident in having enough savings to live comfortably in retirement, according to IRI.
