10 alarming facts about women and retirement risks

Fact No. 4: Women take fewer proactive steps than men

A majority of women are taking proactive steps to help ensure they can continue working past age 65. Sixty-two percent are staying healthy, while 54 percent are performing well at their current job and 42 percent are keeping their job skills up to date. However, responses were lower for networking (16 percent of women, 22 percent of men), scoping out the employment market (16 percent women, 18 percent men), and going back to school (12 percent both women and men). All in all, 91 percent of women have taken at least one of the six steps identified. More than half (55 percent) have taken at least two steps, 33 percent three steps, 14 percent four steps, six percent five steps – but only two percent of women have taken all six steps.

Most women say they lack a plan b if retire sooner than expected. (Photo: iStock)

Fact No. 5: Most lack a backup plan if forced into retirement

An alarmingly low percentage of women (19 percent) and men (31 percent) have a backup plan if forced into retirement sooner than expected. While delaying retirement and taking proactive steps to enable continued employment during retirement, it is vitally important to have a backup plan if forced into retirement sooner than expected (for example, due to a job loss, health issues, family obligations). 

Fact No. 6: Women start saving later than men

Seventy-two percent of women are saving for retirement through employer-sponsored plans (e.g., 401(k) or similar plans) and/or outside the workplace (e.g., in IRAs or mutual funds), compared to 80 percent of men. Women retirement investors started saving for retirement at age 28 (median), while men investors got an earlier start at age 26 (median).

Roughly 1 out of every 4 women work part-time in retirement compared to 14 percent of men. (Photo: iStock)

Fact No. 7: Women are less likely offered retirement benefits

One in four women (26 percent) work part-time compared to only 14 percent of men. This strongly influences women's access to retirement benefits in the workplace because part-time workers overall are less likely to be offered a plan. Forty-two percent of women part-timers are offered a 401(k) or similar plan compared to 77 percent of women full-timers.

Fact No. 8: Many plan to self-fund their retirement

Nearly half of women (47 percent) expect to self-fund their retirement primarily through 401(k)/403(b) accounts/IRAs (36 percent) or other savings and investments (11 percent). Twenty-seven percent of women expect Social Security to be their primary source of retirement income, compared to 23 percent of men. Fourteen percent of women expect income from working to be their primary source of income in retirement. 

Women estimate they will need $500,000 in retirement.. (Photo: iStock)

Fact No. 9: Many women guess their retirement savings needs

Statistically, women live longer than men and, therefore, need to save more to support their extended post-work, retirement years. Women estimate that they will need to have saved $500,000 (median) to feel financially secure when they retire. Among those who estimated their savings needs, 56 percent of women say they "guessed" at what the figure should be and only eight percent said they had used a calculator or completed a worksheet. Men are far less likely to have guessed (40 percent) and more likely to have used a calculator or completed a worksheet (16 percent).

Fact No. 10: Most participate in a 401(k) or similar plan, if offered one

Among those offered a 401(k) or similar plan, women's participation rate lags that of men (75 percent and 79 percent, respectively), with women contributing only 6 percent (median) of their annual salary compared to men contributing 10 percent. Only 61 percent of women who work part-time who are offered a 401(k) or similar plan participate in the plan, albeit at a higher median contribution rate of 10 percent, compared to 6 percent for women who work full-time.

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