Retirement Readiness Tops Middle-Class Americans’ Financial Goals
Jun 10, 2026
Retirement Readiness Tops Middle-Class Americans’ Financial Goals
Jun 10, 2026
With more than 11,000 Americans turning 65 every day, retirement security is top of mind for middle-class households. The latest Financial Resilience Survey found that 25% of these households listed retirement readiness as their top financial goal, underscoring a desire to turn accumulated assets into protected, dependable retirement income.
This focus on retirement is significantly higher among older generations approaching, particularly Gen X and Boomers+. Simultaneously, 48% of middle-class households cite high inflation or rising prices as their top financial concern in the new survey, with concerns increasing among older generations as well. These are generations with memories of pensions, with 6 in 10 saying their parents’ experience with pension income influenced their own retirement income decision making.
In this environment, annuities offer a way to protect purchasing power and provide reliable incomes similar to a pension, even amid market volatility and economic uncertainty. Only annuities offer guaranteed lifetime income – and life insurers are providing access. Life insurers paid out $109.8 billion in annuity benefits in 2024, the most ever, creating financial certainty that lasts for life.
Explore the new Financial Resilience Index and Survey for more comprehensive data on how middle-class Americans navigate cost pressures and understand their financial security.
Andrew Melnyk
Andrew Melnyk is Vice President, Research and Chief Economist at the American Council of Life Insurers (ACLI). He holds a doctorate in economics and is a Certified Business Economist. His functions at ACLI include authoring white papers; managing the production of statistical publications; and managing ACLI’s Research Department. Prior to joining ACLI in 2005, he held positions in academia, government, and the private sector, both in the U.S. and abroad.
