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October 18, 2012 at 09:01 AM
Although 72% of workers say saving for retirement is their top financial goal, a survey by T. Rowe Price found they may not be saving enough to adequately prepare for their needs.
The survey, conducted in August by Harris Interactive and released Wednesday, found that 92% of workers with access to a 401(k) plan through their employer are contributing to it. But 68% are contributing 10% or less of their salary to the plan.
“Employees should be saving at least 15%, including their employer match,” Christine Fahlund, senior financial planner for T. Rowe Price, told AdvisorOne on Thursday.
In addition to low deferral rates, 29% of workers aren’t even sure how much they’re saving in the plan.
Advisors can help their clients increase savings rates by helping them sign up for automatic escalation if their employer offers it, Fahlund said. “They can probably pick, depending on the company, an increase of one percentage point or two percentage points a year,” she said. “It won’t provide a severe shock, so by the time it gets to 15%, they’re used to it.”
