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December 21, 2005 at 07:00 PM
Many Americans put saving more money for retirement at the top of their list of financial New Year’s resolutions, but not so many plan to put it into retirement accounts.[@@]
Results of a survey by Alexander Investments Inc. shows the no. 1 resolution of Americans was saving more money, cited by 80%.
The no. 2 resolution was paying off credit card debt (56%), while no. 3 was paying off other debt, including mortgages and home equity loans, college loans and car loans (32%).
“Americans are paying attention to the growing worry among experts that individuals are not adequately prepared for the reality of funding their retirements,” according to Kevin J. Lucey, an executive vice president for Alexander Investments, a unit of Lincoln Financial Group Inc., Philadelphia.
But they are not planning to take full advantage of 401(k) or 403(b) plans and individual retirement accounts, he noted.
Of those who said they planned to save more money, 49% said they needed to prepare for retirement, but only 13% said they planned to increase their contribution to their retirement plan in 2006. Less than 10% said opening or increasing contributions to an IRA was a major financial goal.
