{"id":935604,"date":"2026-02-10T09:58:18","date_gmt":"2026-02-10T14:58:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.marketnewsdesk.com\/index.php\/half-of-retirees-fear-running-out-of-money-as-pressures-on-u-s-retirement-security-intensify-metlife-research-finds\/"},"modified":"2026-02-10T09:58:18","modified_gmt":"2026-02-10T14:58:18","slug":"half-of-retirees-fear-running-out-of-money-as-pressures-on-u-s-retirement-security-intensify-metlife-research-finds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.marketnewsdesk.com\/index.php\/half-of-retirees-fear-running-out-of-money-as-pressures-on-u-s-retirement-security-intensify-metlife-research-finds\/","title":{"rendered":"Half of Retirees Fear Running Out of Money as Pressures on U.S. Retirement Security Intensify, MetLife Research Finds"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Half of Retirees Fear Running Out of Money as Pressures on U.S. Retirement Security Intensify, MetLife Research Finds<\/b><\/i><\/p>\n

NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE<\/a>)–
\nPersistent, rising healthcare costs coupled with longer lifespans are driving a sharp rise in retirement anxiety, according to MetLife\u2019s new 2026 Paycheck or Pot of Gold Study<\/a>. Among pre-retirees aged 50\u201375 who are within five years of retirement and are currently enrolled in an employer\u2019s defined contribution (DC) plan, 58% worry about running out of money in their DC plan in retirement, according to MetLife, and half (51%) of retirees who have money remaining from their DC plan share this concern, a dramatic escalation from 30% less than a decade ago1<\/sup>.<\/p>\n

\nMetLife\u2019s research shows that more retirees and pre-retirees are realizing the savings strategies that sustained previous generations are not keeping pace with today\u2019s economic pressures. Pre-retirees now expect their savings to last, on average, only 15 years after retirement, down from 19 years just four years ago2<\/sup>, despite many expecting to spend 25 to 30 years in retirement3<\/sup>.<\/p>\n

\n\u201cAmerica has reached critical juncture,\u201d said Roberta Rafaloff, vice president and head of institutional income annuities at MetLife. \u201cEconomic volatility, rising costs and increasing longevity are reshaping the retirement landscape. Even diligent savers are finding their retirement outlook disrupted. Without reliable income streams to anchor their finances, retirees face an elevated risk of outliving their savings.\u201d<\/p>\n

\nIn light of these challenges, both pre-retirees and retirees are more likely than in previous years to seek guidance before deciding what to do with their defined contribution plan balance. In 2022, 86% of pre-retirees looked for guidance vs. 95% today. For retirees, the percentage jumped from 81% in 2022 to 90% today.<\/p>\n

A Widening Gap Between Vision and Reality
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<\/b>While pre-retirees continue to envision a fulfilling and active retirement, many are unsure whether they can afford it. Daily living costs and healthcare expenses consume a large share of retirement resources. Among retirees, inflation and unexpected expenses are cited as top reasons their actual experience feels more constrained than what they had imagined, noting, for example, that \u201cin today\u2019s economy, it\u2019s hard to make ends meet with [their] current income\u201d and \u201ccurrent inflation has affected some of the plans [they] had for [their] retirement.\u201d<\/p>\n

\nAround three in five pre-retirees and retirees admit they underestimated how much they needed to save for retirement (62%, 59%, respectively) and overestimated how long their savings would last (61%, 57%). Nearly half (46%) of pre-retirees expect to cut back on spending due to fears of running out of money, while 44% of retirees already have.<\/p>\n

Savings are Depleting Faster \u2013 Especially for Lump Sum Recipients
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<\/b>Retirees who chose to withdraw a significant sum directly from their retirement savings face the greatest financial strain, exhausting their savings faster than ever. One in five retirees who took a lump sum (20%) have run through their withdrawals in just 4\u00bd years after they retired, on average \u2013 down from 5 years in 2022 and 5 \u00bd years in the 2017 research. Half of retirees who have lump sum money remaining (51%) are concerned it will run out, and they estimate that, on average, they have approximately 11 years\u2019 worth of money left. Even among high savers with $200,000 or more, the average duration is only 14 years.<\/p>\n

\nHalf of retirees who have completely drained their lump sums (51%) report financial hardship, and nearly all (98%)4<\/sup> say an additional layer of retirement income could have prevented it. Regret is surging: 61% of these lump sum retirees who made major purchases in their first year regret those decisions, up from 33% in 2017.<\/p>\n

Guaranteed Income Viewed as Foundational to Retirement Stability
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<\/b>In an environment defined by uncertainty, having a reliable stream of retirement income, guaranteed monthly payments that continue for life, is increasingly viewed as essential:<\/p>\n