Mass Affluent Americans Push Back Retirement Date and Take Steps to Get on Track in Greater Numbers (Bank of America)

According to the Merrill Edge Report, 57% of working mass affluent Americans expect to retire later than they planned, up from 21% in January 2011. The greatest financial concerns for this group include the rising cost of health care (89%), ensuring retirement assets last throughout their lifetime (83%), and being able to afford the lifestyle they want in retirement (80%). To help get back on financial track, 70% of mass affluent Americans took on home improvement projects last year over hiring someone. The Generation Y (age 18-34) portion of the mass affluent took on the most projects (84%) and also the most likely to manage their investments on their own (63%). Almost 80% of Gen Yers are apprehensive about caring for an aging parent compared to 49% overall. As a result, 71% of Gen Yers already expect to retire later than planned.