EBRI: Rich Boomer, Poor Boomer

By Staff Writer

April 05, 2006 at 10:31 PM

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Workers are not doing much more to prepare for retirement this year than they were in 2005.

Researchers from the Employee Benefit Research Institute, Washington, are reporting that finding in a summary of the results of the EBRI 2006 Retirement Confidence Survey.

Mathew Greenwald & Associates, Washington, helped EBRI survey 1,252 U.S. residents age 25 and older in January.

Although many survey participants were baby boomers, and the oldest boomers are starting to turn 60, the percentage of workers who say they are saving for retirement creeped up only slightly between 2005 and 2006, to 64%, from 62%.

The share of participants who said they have tried to calculate how much money they would need to save for a comfortable retirement held steady at 42% for the third straight year.

An EBRI study table breaking down reported savings and investment totals by age range shows how differences in income, awareness, luck and other factors affect retirement preparedness.

In the 35-44 age group, for example, which consists of members of the "baby bust" generation born after the end of the baby boom, 34% of the participants say they have less than $10,000 in assets, and 79% say they have less than $100,000 in assets.

In the 55-64 age category, which includes many of the older boomers, 26% report having $250,000 or more in assets, but 36% reporting having less than $10,000 in assets.

"Workers age 45 and older are more likely than younger workers to think they need less than $100,000 for retirement," the researchers warn.

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