Only half of American workers have retirement accounts at their current jobs

Who has retirement accounts?

Though every worker wants to retire, only some have retirement accounts. Data from the Census Bureau shows those who currently own such accounts are disproportionately white and Asian men in the Baby Boomer generation, suggesting access to these crucial retirement plans is not equal. Dive into the numbers and get a sense of who has retirement accounts here.

Americans think they need $1.46M to retire comfortably in 2026

That's far less than what many Americans have saved. While the median retirement savings for those ages 65 to 74 is $200K, the mean is about $609K.

Americans ages 30 to 34 have $44,800 in their 401(k) accounts on average

Americans ages 28 to 44 save about 13.5% of their pretax income on average, which is close to the recommended retirement savings rate of 15%.

Retirement expectations versus reality

There's a big gap between what many Americans expect to happen during retirement and what actually happens—at least according to one financial planner. In this article, the financial planner in question explores how retirement expectations can differ from reality, exploring financial considerations such as how long people expect to work part-time during retirement, and more. Read the article here.

If your job doesn’t offer a 401(k), you still have retirement savings options

Do you know more than a third of working adults aren't offered a 401(k) through their jobs? If you're part of that group, you still have options for retirement savings, including IRAs, taxable investment accounts, and more.

The average gig worker likely doesn’t have an employer-sponsored retirement plan

But just like full-time 9 to 5 office workers, gig workers can still save for retirement. An article outlines strategies for gig workers seeking to save for retirement, including different ways to think about what the money from each “gig” should go toward.

Roughly 70 million Americans have 401(k) plans

Ted Benna, a rural benefits consultant, proposed a reinterpretation of a small tweak to the Internal Revenue Code in 1980. This led to a fundamental transformation of how American workers plan for retirement.

Read why Gen Z is saving more for retirement than older generations

Despite more and more Americans taking money from their retirement funds to cover expenses, many members of Gen Z are investing more in their retirement. Part of the reason for increased savings amongst this generation could be better-designed retirement plans.

Researchers, experts, and retirees are finding that the 401(k) has left much to be desired

Baby Boomers, once the biggest generation, are now creating the largest wave of retirees in US history. Much of this generation is also the first to retire predominantly on the expectation that their 401(k) plans or similar tax-advantaged accounts performed well in the markets—which isn’t always the case.

Americans are retiring later than they used to

A Gallup poll from 2022 found that the percentage of adults between the ages of 55 and 74 who are retired is declining.

Before Social Security, elderly Americans relied on family support, limited state pensions, or company-sponsored pensions

Before Social Security benefits were available to American retirees, they had to find other ways to get by. Pensions were only available to roughly 15% of workers, and most elderly Americans went without meaningful economic security.

Nearly 1 in 4 Americans over age 65 is still working

While many of these Americans are often working part-time, the share varies significantly by US state. While roughly 29% of those over the age of 65 work in Vermont, only about 17% do the same in West Virginia.

A work-free retirement is a relatively recent development in human history

Though it looks different in other countries, economic historians trace retirement's rise in the US to a growth in personal income through pensions, GDP, and Social Security.

Social Security trust funds are expected to be unable to pay full benefits by 2035

Most US workers have 6.2% of their gross paycheck taken out for Social Security. The government requires employers to match that 6.2% as well, for a total of 12.4%. This video dives into the specifics of how Social Security functions from a financial perspective.

8 key milestone ages in retirement

At age 50, you can make catch-up contributions to retirement accounts. At age 65, you become eligible for Medicare.

A third of Americans don't have the cash they need to cover a $500 emergency

That's according to a 2023 Federal Reserve survey. So what does the average American in this camp do when, say, their car breaks down? This video compares six of the most common ways Americans get money when they don't have it. As it turns out, some of them opt for payday loans, which this video argues are predatory.

State governments have public pensions for their employees

In many US states, these pensions are set aside for teachers, firefighters, and/or other state government workers. However, many of these pensions are currently underfunded. This map provides a visual representation of how strong each US states’ public pensions are.

Watch a breakdown of tax breaks most Americans don't know about

Programs like healthcare savings accounts or flexible spending accounts are tax-free accounts that are designed to help lower healthcare costs. However, many Americans don't use them and don't understand how they work.

Addressing psychological barriers to building wealth

Almost half of adults in the US report owning no investable assets. For many, the barrier to entry is the belief that investing is too complex for them to get involved. Consulting with a financial psychologist, this article addresses the cognitive bias that causes so many people to miss out on financial opportunities, and offers tips on how to get past the anxieties and just begin.

Half of the richest people in the US are finding ways around death taxes

One of the main purposes of the federal estate tax is to crack down on generational wealth, so wealth isn't concentrated among a select few. However, the ultra-rich have found ways around paying these taxes. This ProPublica article investigates the practices used by half of the 100 richest people in the US to avoid death taxes.

Read about the situations where a high-yield savings account doesn't make sense

While financial experts often recommend high-yield savings accounts, one expert argues that prioritizing adding more money to one doesn't make sense for someone who has a lot of high-interest debt or isn't taking advantage of their company's 401(k) match.

A podcast on America’s coming demographic crisis

This podcast explores how America’s coming demographic crisis is bad for employers. According to Bloomberg, businesses still need humans to make the economy work. However, too few workers in the US are actually working, and too few people are...

Some argue that annuities are particularly good options for women

Women live longer than men, meaning they’ll likely be retired for longer. Annuities can provide them with a guaranteed income stream during their retirement years, even if the rest of their retirement plan doesn’t last.

Retail investors are getting burned by long/short strategies

In the US, many retail investors lack the SEC-mandated status (a high enough net worth, income, and other factors) to directly invest in hedge funds. The regulator considers hedge funds too risky for the masses. Hedge fund-like strategies have emerged as a workaround, despite potential pitfalls.

One-third of early- and mid-career workers have considered quitting due to stress

In 2024, around half of all full-time employees polled by the National Alliance on Mental Illness reported experiencing burnout at their jobs. Around a third of all employees ages 18 to 49 had considered quitting their jobs due to workplace stress.

Despite being favored by 87% of Americans, Congress does not have term limits.

US housing costs have risen by roughly 175% between 1991 and 2026—but a growing number of Gen Zers are becoming homeowners anyway. In 2025, 4% of homebuyers were Gen Z, up from 3% the year before.

US consumers collectively owe more than $1T to credit card companies—almost as much as they owe in auto loans.

Hedge funds, the private investment firms that trade a wide swath of financial assets, make money by imposing steep fees on investors and from the fund's investment performance.

About 2,000 US babies are born annually without some portion of their limbs, potentially leading to a lifetime of pricey prosthetics.

44% of Americans say they pray at least once a day—discover how your state's religiosity stacks up against the rest of the country.

Discover the catastrophic consequences of a failure of the US electrical grid—something that is more likely than many Americans think.

See a ranking of the best (and worst) Federal Reserve Chairs since 1914 out of the 16 men and women who have held the office since.

A Yale student wrote a profound essay about the consulting industry's influence on elite college students that was published in a book of her writing after she died in a post-graduation car accident.

The American Society of Civil Engineers' infrastructure report card gave the US a C in 2025, its highest grade since the project launched in 1998.

11 people died from firework injuries in the US in 2024.

Studies suggest when you sleep is as important as how much you get, and syncing with your circadian rhythms may lead to less fatigue and improved long-term health outcomes

Dozens of S&P 500 stocks, including Coca-Cola and Walmart—known as the dividend aristocrats—have increased dividends every year for 25 years

Indefinite cloning of some endangered species may not sustain their longevity because cloning success rates decrease as genetic mutations accumulate.

Use this tool to calculate the dollar value of your parental mental load, from meal planning to coordinating after-school care, then see resources that help generate solutions.

In 2026, Finland was named the world's happiest country for the ninth consecutive year based on its wealth, social safety network, and high life expectancy, among other factors.

In 1939, baseball star Lou Gehrig delivered his inspirational 'Luckiest Man' speech after retiring due to the health condition that now bears his name.

About 12.5% of US adults experience a phobia in their lifetime, a diagnosis that hinges on the intense fear interfering with daily life and persisting for at least six months.

At the beginning of the 20th century, a group of young men ate standard American food—replete with food additives like borax and formaldehyde—as part of government research to better understand food safety.

In 2025, four executives from large tech companies were given positions in the US Army Reserves—including Palantir Chief Technology Officer Shyam Sankar, which reinforced Palantir's ties with the US military and its role as a leading defense partner.

See the most iconic photos from four decades of LIFE magazine

Listen to an in-depth conversation on the links between Parkinson's disease and herbicide exposure and the challenging pace of scientific investigation.

Cultural norms about how to handle the bodies of loved ones in communities in West Africa have hampered Ebola responses.

This site reaches millions of visitors who are tired of AI chatbots and seeking human connection. Pretend to be an AI chatbot and ask questions, provide answers, and draw for people in real time.

In 1945, Surrealist artist Salvador Dalí and legendary animator Walt Disney began collaborating on a short film that was not completed until 2003, years after both men had died.