Middle Class Losing Hope of Comfortable Retirement

Golden Years Tarnished: Many Americans are pessimistic that they can retire comfortably, according to a survey by a Country Insurance & Financial Services of Bloomington, Illinois. About 46 percent say it’s impossible for today’s middle-income families to pay their mounting bills and still have money to put aside for a retirement nest egg. About 37 percent of people disagree, and believe middle-class retirees indeed can live out their golden years in relative comfort. Women feel the anxiety much greater than men: Nearly 70 percent of women are “pessimistic or unsure” about retirement prospects, compared with about 50 percent of men. One reason for the dire outlook generally: A whopping 62 percent say they didn’t begin investing for retirement until after age 30—and some still have not started.