Fewer Americans are feeling on track for retirement this year. In the 2026 Goldman Sachs Asset Management Retirement Survey & Insights Report, 58% of retirement savers said they’re on track or ahead. A year earlier, 68% did. Money stress showed up at both ends of the income scale, hitting households under $100,000 and over $300,000 hardest.
Retirement savings tend to stall a little at a time. A raise gets absorbed by a bigger mortgage, or a parent starts needing help with bills. The contribution bump planned for January slides to next year, then the year after.
Plenty of people with six-figure balances still can’t say for sure whether their money will last. Here’s what the 2026 data shows and how to check where you stand.
How Many Americans Are On Track for Retirement in 2026?
Between 35% and 58% of Americans say they’re on track for retirement, depending on the survey. Goldman Sachs found that 58% of retirement savers are on track or ahead. The Federal Reserve put the figure at 35% of non-retirees, unchanged from the year before.
| Survey | Who Was Asked | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Goldman Sachs Asset Management (2026) | 5,106 workers and retirees, July 2026 | 58% of savers on track or ahead |
| Federal Reserve SHED (2025) | Nearly 13,000 adults, October 2025 | 35% of non-retirees on track |
| EBRI/Greenwald RCS (2026) | 2,052 workers and retirees, January 2026 | 61% of workers confident |
The spread comes down to who’s asking and how. Goldman surveyed people who are already saving for retirement. The Fed’s latest household survey covered all non-retired adults, including people with no retirement account. EBRI measured retirement confidence, which tends to run a bit higher than a self-check on progress.
Retirement Savings Momentum Fell Across Every Generation
Every generation reported less retirement savings progress in 2026. From Gen Z to Boomers, the share of Goldman Sachs respondents on track fell 9 to 13 points in a year. Fewer people raised their savings, and more people cut back.
| Generation | On Track or Better (2025) | On Track or Better (2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Gen Z | 75% | 66% |
| Millennials | 74% | 61% |
| Gen X | 58% | 49% |
| Boomers | 69% | 60% |
Source: Goldman Sachs Asset Management, Retirement Survey and Insights Report 2026; 5,106 respondents surveyed in July 2026.
The share of people who increased their retirement savings fell from 55% to 39% in a year. By Goldman’s count, that’s the biggest one-year drop in six years. The share who reduced their savings climbed to 14%, up from 8%.
Gen X sits lowest at 49%. Many Gen Xers are 5 to 20 years from retirement. They’re also the least likely to say their job offers long-term security. There’s still time to change course in that window, and catch-up contributions open up at 50.
Financial Strain Hits Both Ends of the Income Scale
Financial strain doesn’t track income in a straight line. In Goldman Sachs’ 2026 survey, 42% of people earning under $100,000 said they live paycheck to paycheck. So did 36% of people earning over $300,000. Among earners in between, 23% said the same.
| Household Income | Live Paycheck to Paycheck | Delayed a Financial Goal | Pay Credit Card Minimum or Less |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under $50,000 | 60.8% | 78% | 47% |
| $50,000 to $100,000 | 34.0% | 65% | 40% |
| $100,000 to $200,000 | 22.2% | 54% | 36% |
| $200,000 to $300,000 | 24.9% | 52% | 30% |
| $300,000 to $500,000 | 34.2% | 72% | 38% |
| Over $500,000 | 36.6% | 80% | 46% |
Source: Goldman Sachs Asset Management, New Economics of Retirement: Making Every Dollar Saved Work Harder, Retirement Survey & Insights Report 2026.
The full report splits income into six bands. Living paycheck to paycheck peaks at 60.8% for people earning under $50,000. It bottoms out at 22.2% between $100,000 and $200,000, then climbs back to 36.6% above $500,000. Delayed goals and minimum credit card payments follow the same U shape.
Lower-income savers run out of room after the basics
Below $100,000, rent, groceries, and other basics take most of the paycheck. Goldman found financial insecurity concentrated in this group. Among people earning $50,000 or less, 40% feel their job provides financial security, 25 points below the overall average. When covering the month leaves little over, a 401(k) contribution is often the first thing to go.
High earners delay retirement saving most often
Many high earners see a wide gap between the retirement they picture and what they’ve locked in so far. Among people earning over $500,000, 45% have delayed retirement saving, the highest share of any income group. And 55% say they’re likely to look for a new job to improve their finances.
Why Do High Earners Live Paycheck to Paycheck?
High earners often live paycheck to paycheck because their spending climbs with their income and they support other people. Goldman Sachs ties the strain at the top to higher lifestyle expectations and larger fixed commitments. Both pull money away before it reaches a retirement account.
Lifestyle creep builds over years as a bigger house, a second car, and nicer vacations become the baseline. A once-a-year audit of your spending can show which costs crept in and which ones you’d still choose today.
Supporting family pulls money away at both ends of the income scale. In Goldman’s survey, caring for and supporting family members weighed hardest on households below $100,000 and above $300,000. That can mean covering a parent’s care or helping an adult child through a rough stretch.
The number of family caregivers has climbed fast. The Caregiving in the US 2025 report from AARP and the National Alliance for Caregiving counts 63 million, up 45% over the past decade. About 29% belong to the sandwich generation, caring for kids and adults at the same time. Nearly half have taken at least one major financial hit, such as new debt or a pause in saving.
What Happens When You Put Off Saving for Retirement?
Putting off retirement saving crams the work into fewer, later years. It also raises the odds that one surprise expense turns into debt. Nearly 70% of Goldman Sachs respondents have delayed a major financial goal. Across Gen Z, Millennials, and Gen X, 66% expect to retire later because of competing priorities.
Many people plan to make up the difference by working longer. In the same survey, 44% of retirees stopped working earlier than they’d planned. Health was the top reason at 22%. Caring for a family member came next at 14%, and 12% left because their job went away.
Being forced into retirement years early changes your Social Security timing and your health coverage overnight. If your plan counts on working longer, step 7 below shows what happens if that falls through.
The Fed found that 63% of adults would cover a surprise $400 expense with cash, unchanged from a year earlier. For everyone else, one car repair can mean borrowing. A modest emergency fund keeps that repair from becoming a balance that crowds out saving. Within a year, 14% of non-retirees in the Fed’s survey borrowed from, cashed out, or cut back on a retirement account.
Savers With a Personalized Plan Are Twice as Likely to Feel On Track
People with a personalized retirement plan are more than twice as likely to say they’re on track. In Goldman Sachs’ 2026 survey, 72% of savers with a plan said their savings were on track or better. Among savers without a plan, 33% said so.
Among people with a plan, 46% increased their retirement savings last year, compared with 26% of people without one. Nearly all planners, 91%, reviewed their savings in the past year. Non-planners came in at 62%.
A personalized plan starts from your own income and spending. It counts the help you give your family and the age you hope to stop working. Then it shows how those pieces play out year by year, into your 90s.
The Boldin Planner builds that view from your numbers. You can test a lower savings rate, a new caregiving cost, or an earlier exit before you commit to any of them.
Some 51% of Goldman’s respondents have used AI for retirement planning. Most still want a person for big, emotional, or tax-sensitive decisions. Boldin AI answers questions about your own numbers inside the Planner. PlannerPlus subscribers can also use it to update the plan itself. For a bigger call, a Boldin coach or a CFP® professional can review it with you.
How Much Should You Have Saved to Be On Track for Retirement?
Fidelity’s rule of thumb is to save 10 times your salary by 67, with checkpoints along the way. The multiples assume you save 15% of your income starting at 25 and want to keep a similar lifestyle in retirement.
| Age | Savings Target (Multiple of Salary) |
|---|---|
| 30 | 1x |
| 40 | 3x |
| 50 | 6x |
| 60 | 8x |
| 67 | 10x |
Source: Fidelity Investments savings guidelines.
A benchmark gives you a fast gut check. It can’t account for a pension, a paid-off house, or a spouse’s income. Treat a miss as a reason to run your own numbers. Boldin’s guide to how much to save for retirement at every age shows how savings rates compare by age group.
How Do You Know If You’re On Track for Retirement?
You’re on track for retirement when your projected savings and income cover your expected spending into your 90s, with room for surprises. The fastest way to find out is a projection built on your own numbers. From there, check your cash flow, emergency savings, and contributions against it.
- Run a projection. Start with one that factors in Social Security, taxes, and inflation. It shows whether your savings and planned withdrawals last through your 80s and 90s.
- Check where the money goes. Pull three months of statements and sort the spending with a budget worksheet. Flag costs that crept in over the past few years, and keep the ones you’d still choose.
- Build a cash cushion. A few months of expenses in savings keeps a surprise bill off your credit card. If you carry high-interest balances, paying down debt frees up cash you can redirect to saving.
- Use the 2026 contribution limits. The IRS lets you put up to $24,500 into a 401(k) in 2026, plus $7,500 into an IRA. At 50 you can add an $8,000 catch-up, and savers 60 to 63 get $11,250. If your 2025 wages from your employer topped $150,000, your 2026 catch-up contributions have to go in as Roth.
- Give family support a line. Put it in the plan as a monthly cost with a rough end date. Then you can see what it costs your retirement. If you’re a family caregiver, count lost work hours as well.
- Check your income floor. Add up Social Security, pensions, and any annuity income. In Goldman’s survey, 83% of respondents want guaranteed income in their strategy. And 59% of workers worry about outliving their money. The more of your basic spending that floor covers, the less a bad market year can hurt. The right blend depends on your other retirement income strategies.
- Model an early exit. Run a version where work ends five years early. Check it against the retirement milestones from 50 to 75 that shape Medicare, Social Security, and account withdrawals.
Getting Back On Track Starts With Your Own Numbers
Most people in these surveys are juggling today’s bills and tomorrow’s goals at once. In Goldman’s data, the savers who feel steadiest are the ones with a plan that shows where they stand.
Put your numbers into the Boldin Planner and look at the projection. Then pick one change for this month, like raising your 401(k) contribution by 1%, and build the habit from there.
Frequently Asked Questions
What savings rate keeps you on track for retirement?
A common target is 15% of pre-tax income, counting any employer match, for people who start saving in their 20s. Starting in your 40s or 50s often calls for a higher rate, a later retirement date, or both. A pension or other guaranteed income can lower the rate you need.
Can you get back on track for retirement in your 50s?
Getting back on track in your 50s is possible, and the decade comes with extra tools. Workers 50 and older can make catch-up contributions, with a larger catch-up at ages 60 to 63. Working two or three more years helps close a gap. Delaying Social Security adds about 8% a year past full retirement age.
How often should you check whether you're on track for retirement?
A once-a-year review works for most people, plus a check after any major change. A raise, a job loss, a move, a new caregiving role, or a market swing can each shift a projection. Updating the numbers at those moments keeps small gaps from growing for years unnoticed.
How does caregiving affect retirement savings?
Caring for a family member often means fewer paid work hours, out-of-pocket costs, and paused retirement contributions. AARP's 2025 caregiving research found that nearly half of the 63 million U.S. family caregivers took a major financial hit. That can mean new debt or a pause in saving. Budgeting a set amount for care helps protect long-term goals.
