Seniors Rank Finances, not health, as top retirement concern

Seniors Rank Finances, Not Health, as Top Retirement Concern

by Alyssa Gerace Published 

Americans aged 60 and older are more likely to be concerned about the sufficiency of their finances rather than a deterioration in health, according to a recent national survey. 

More than half of respondents (53%) say they are concerned about whether their savings and income will be sufficient to last them for the rest of their lives, while another 33% were not concerned, according to the 2013 United States of Aging Survey, conducted by the National Council on Aging, UnitedHealthcare, and USA Today. 

Among retired seniors, 43% relied on Social Security as their primary source of retirement income. More than four in ten (41%) of non retired seniors planned to rely on Social Security in retirement. 

Despite future fears, most respondents reported no difficulty in affording current expenses. 

For 66% of respondents, it’s “easy” to pay monthly living expenses, and only 18% reported the need to reduce regular spending in 2012 in order to pay a monthly regular bill.

However, nearly two in ten (19%) said it was “difficult” to afford monthly living expenses, based on current income and savings. 

Six in ten seniors believe their health will stay the same in the next 5-10 years, the survey said. Another 13% think their health will improve, while less than a quarter (23%) predict their health will worsen during that timeframe. 

While seniors believed their health wouldn’t change much in the upcoming decade, many aren’t doing anything to manage existing conditions or maintain good health. 

Nearly two in ten (18%) seniors reported having five or more chronic health conditions, while 65% reported having two or more. However, more than half (51%) haven’t set any specific goals to manage health in the past year, while 43% have taken no steps toward preventing falls. 

Access The United States of Aging Survey. 

Scott Larson

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The Information Age offers much to mankind, and I would like to think we will rise to the challenges it represents.    But it is vital to remember that information – in the sense of raw data – is not knowledge, that knowledge is not wisdom, that wisdom is not foresight.  But information is the first essential step to all these.   -