No Rest for the Weary: 75% of Americans Plan on Working as Long as They Can

A new study released by Bankrate, Inc. shows that the vast majority of working Americans plan to work as long as they can during retirement age, showing a redefinition of how Americans view traditional retirement plans. The poll, conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates International, is included in the new Bankrate Financial Literacy series on Retirement Income.

Among the findings:

-75% of Americans plan to work as long as they can during retirement age. 39% plan to work because they enjoy work while almost one-third plan to work because they'll need the money;
-Although so many Americans plan on working through retirement age, only 15% of retirees polled are currently employed compared to 84% who are not;
-55% of retirees worry about money and wish they had saved more compared to only 38% who think they have enough money to retire without worry;
-The financial crisis has affected many people's plans to retire with only 31% expecting to retire on time as planned while 40% plan on postponing their retirement plans;
-53% of Americans made no changes to their investments due to the financial crisis compared to 14% who went with a more conservative investment approach;
-Almost 40% of Americans are investing for retirement on their own with 16% using an asset allocation plan, 15% picking mutual funds based upon performance, and 8% with a target date fund. Twenty-seven percent use a financial adviser for decisions while 18% don't invest in a retirement plan and 9% don't utilize any strategies;
-Due to a lack of pension plans like today's workforce, 26% of retirees polled are relying solely on Social Security for their income.

"This poll offers an interesting insight into Americans' views of employment and retirement," said Julie Bandy, editor in chief at Bankrate.com. "Seventy-five percent of today's generation plan to work as long as possible, a far cry from that of previous generations. Falling home values and losses in retirement accounts are forcing many Americans to re-evaluate their retirement needs. "