EBRI Report Shows Less Retirement Confidence, More Financial Strain

A growing wave of economic anxiety is eroding the financial certitude of many U.S. workers and retirees, according to the 2026 Retirement Confidence Survey, conducted by the Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI) and Greenwald Research. 

The 36th annual study revealed only 64% of Americans feel confident they will have enough money to live comfortably throughout their retirement years. The findings reflect a sharp decline in confidence among both active workers and current retirees, driven by a compounding mix of immediate financial strain and long-term systemic worries.

Inflation and Debt Soften Retirement Outlook

The online survey of more than 2,500 Americans aged 25 and older highlighted how everyday economic pressures are reshaping how they think about aging and finances. Respondents noted persistent inflation, rising debt, escalating healthcare costs and spiking housing expenses have heavily intensified their daily financial anxiety.

“Retirement confidence has clearly softened this year, and the data shows why,” said Craig Copeland, EBRI’s director of wealth benefits research. “Americans are contending with a mix of immediate financial pressures and long-term uncertainty. Many workers are struggling with debt, inflation, and rising housing and healthcare costs, while retirees are increasingly worried about the future of Social Security and Medicare. Together, those pressures are making it harder for people to feel secure about their retirement.”

Key Metrics Show Year-Over-Year Drop

The study exposed critical drops in financial optimism when compared directly to the previous year:

• Workers’ confidence is down. The share of workers expressing confidence in a comfortable retirement fell by 6 percentage points from 2025, landing at just 61%.
• Retirees are feeling the squeeze. Even those already in retirement are losing confidence, with their metric dropping 5 percentage points over the last year to 73%.

Delving Deeper into the Data

Additional findings from the research showed an environment where workers and retirees are experiencing (and/or predicting):

• Concerns about the viability of the U.S. retirement system. Seventy percent of retirees and 80% of workers are increasingly worried about the potential of the federal government making significant changes to Social Security and Medicare.
• Worsening financial health. Emergency savings have slipped, with fewer than 60% of workers and 70% of retirees having adequate emergency funds.
• Heavy debt burdens. Sixty-five percent of workers view debt as an obstacle, with half carrying credit card debt and nearly 33% holding more than $25,000 in non-mortgage debt.
• Escalating costs. Rising healthcare and housing expenses are actively hurting Americans’ ability to save, compounded by a lack of retirement healthcare planning.
• Delayed retirements. Due to these mounting financial pressures, workers increasingly expect to delay their retirement and continue working during their later years.
• More confusion and a greater need for guidance. More than 40% of workers and 25% of retirees said they don’t know where to go for financial or retirement planning advice.

“These findings underscore how retirement planning is becoming more complex for Americans across life stages,” Greenwald Research CEO Lisa Greenwald said. “People are not only worried about whether they have saved enough, but also about how rising costs, healthcare needs and policy changes could reshape retirement itself. The results show a clear need for more guidance, better planning tools and solutions that help people turn savings into lasting financial security.”

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