The U.S. is facing a retirement crisis, with most financial experts agreeing that a significant portion of the population will lack the resources to live comfortably in retirement. According to The Center for Retirement Research at Boston College, more than half of working-age households are at risk of having inadequate retirement resources.
Nearly half of non-retired Americans don’t think their retirement savings is on track.
Source: Economic Well-Being of U.S. Households in 2020
A quarter of Americans have no retirement savings.
Source: Economic Well-Being of U.S. Households in 2020
How Americans are saving and how prepared they feel for retirement varies between demographic groups.
Source: Economic Well-Being of U.S. Households in 2020
Source: Economic Well-Being of U.S. Households in 2020
Given how many people are falling behind on their savings goals, the looming question is, how can more Americans get on track and ultimately live the lifestyle they want in retirement? We can start by helping people be more aware of the importance of saving for retirement.
October is National Retirement Security Month, and as financial marketers, this time can be an opportunity to provide more education and actionable advice to help people better prepare for retirement.
4 ways content can help close the retirement savings gap
- Help people understand where they stand with their retirement savings and determine whether they are on or off track.
- Offer clear steps they can take to increase their savings, and stress that it’s okay to start small and increase savings contributions over time.
- Explain the benefits of tax-advantaged savings accounts and how they can make the most of long-term savings.
- Emphasize the power of compounding and how starting to save as early and as consistently as possible can help maximize growth over time.
Meeting your audience where they are
The information needs of younger workers and those nearing retirement are likely to differ, and tailoring content topics to those unique needs can help provide greater value to your intended audience. For example, for people in their 20s, information on how to juggle student loan debt with starting to save for retirement would be particularly relevant. And for those in their 50s, understanding options for catch-up contributions could help them save more in their remaining working years.
Likewise, you’ll want to consider the needs of different segments. For example, we know that Hispanic Americans are lagging behind on retirement savings compared to white and Asian Americans. Research has shown that one reason is that Hispanics tend to spend their money on other priorities rather than retirement savings, so content that helps them understand how to balance competing financial priorities would be valuable. And for content to connect with the Latino market, it also needs to feel culturally relevant and authentic.
Whatever audience you are trying to reach, increasing knowledge and understanding of the importance of saving for retirement can help close the savings gap so many Americans are currently struggling with.
How is your content addressing the current retirement crisis? We’d love to hear about your strategy and share some ideas on how we can help. Send a message and let’s get the conversation started.
