NU Online News Service, Dec. 27, 2004, 5:32 p.m. EST
U.S. workers worry about saving for retirement, but many are struggling just to meet short-term needs.[@@]
Researchers at MetLife Inc., New York, have published results supporting that conclusion in a report on the company’s latest employee benefits trend study.
Outside researchers polled 1,542 voting-age consumers; 903 full-time employees, age 21 and older, at companies with at least 2 employees; and 1,528 benefits and human resources executives at companies with at least 2 employees.
The researchers found that 49% of the employees surveyed are worried about outliving retirement savings and that 43% would like their employers to give them access to financial planners.
But the researchers also found that 42% of the survey participants said they are living paycheck to paycheck, 63% worry about having enough money to make ends meet and 71% worry about having enough money to pay bills during periods of income loss.