Overview
- A Schroders survey published May 21 found 90% of retirees worry inflation will erode their savings, 87% cited higher-than-expected health care costs, 81% fear a major market downturn, 69% are unsure how to draw down income, and 68% fear outliving their savings.
- The Schroders results also show nearly six in ten retirees do not know how long their savings will last and one in five say they are currently struggling financially.
- Rising Medicare costs are a key pressure point: standard Part B premiums increased by $17.90 at the start of 2026 and retirees report spending about 16% of monthly income on out-of-pocket medical bills such as premiums and prescriptions.
- Financial strain is affecting health and daily life, with more than a third of retirees saying money worries could hurt their overall health and almost three in ten reporting daily worry or money-related sleeplessness.
- Longer-term context includes a 2.8% Social Security COLA for 2026 that lagged recent inflation and prior EBRI and Allianz findings showing falling retirement confidence and many people retiring earlier than planned, which together underscore calls for clearer withdrawal plans, larger cash buffers and careful Medicare review during open enrollment.