Industry News

On April 21, 2026, the Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI) published its report, 2026 Retirement Confidence Survey Summary Report. The 36th annual survey found that the overall confidence of workers and retirees in retirement security has declined from last year. Americans are less confident about retirement as concerns grow about Social Security, Medicare, and increasing costs.

According to the survey, 73% of retirees are confident in their ability to live comfortably throughout retirement. In addition, about 61% of workers are confident they will be able to retire comfortably. However, the majority of workers are concerned about reducing their spending due to inflation, stock market volatility and rising housing costs.  

Currently, many Americans are concerned about the U.S. government making substantial changes to the retirement system, particularly reductions in Social Security and Medicare benefits. Approximately 78% of workers and 69% of retirees report being concerned. Notably, retirees’ confidence in Medicare benefits in the future has fallen significantly decreasing from 70% in 2025 to 62% in 2026.

In addition, the level of confidence among workers and retirees related to Social Security being able to continue offering benefits of at least equal value to those received today remains comparable with last year. Social Security remains the primary source of actual and expected income for Americans in retirement. About 89% of workers expect Social Security to be a source of income in retirement. By comparison, 92% of retirees report Social Security as a source of income.

Most retirees reported retiring prior to age 65 with a median retirement age of 62. Based on this year’s findings, most workers expect to retire later and plan to work during retirement. While the median expected retirement age for workers has remained at age 65, a growing number of workers plan to retire at age 70 or later and to keep working in retirement. In 2025, some workers also adjusted their target retirement age and are planning to retire later.  

Overall, financial well-being weakened and emergency readiness fell. Less than 60% of workers reported having enough savings to handle an emergency expense, down from 64% in 2025. For retirees, less than 70% reported having enough savings for emergencies, down from 74% in 2025.

Consistent with previous years, health care expenses remain a significant concern for Americans. About 60% of workers report that the cost of health care is negatively impacting their ability to save for retirement, while about 40% of retirees indicate that health care and dental expenses have been higher than expected in retirement. Less than 50% of workers and retirees have tried to calculate how much they need to save for health care expenses in retirement.

The summary report is available here.