Overview

• Vanguard’s new Retirement Outlook reports roughly six in ten Americans are not on track for retirement, with only the top 30% of earners aged 61–65 considered ready.
• Expanded access to defined-contribution plans and default features has lifted savings, as about 60% of plans now auto-enroll and roughly one-third set default contribution rates of 6% or higher, with median participants contributing over 11%.
• Workers with access to these plans hold more in equities and less in cash, with typical allocations of 40% and 30% respectively versus 10% and 80% for those without access.
• Analysts flag a looming Social Security funding shortfall that could cut payouts to about 77% within eight years if no policy changes occur.
• A UK survey finds Gen Z aim to retire at 60 yet often under-prioritize pension saving and turn to AI, finfluencers and higher-risk assets such as crypto for guidance.