Workers, Retirees Are Feeling Better About Retirement Finances

The annual survey from the Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI) found as the U.S. economy strengthens and stocks approach record levels, retirees and workers' confidence in having enough money for retirement have risen over the past year to all-time highs, reports the Wall Street Journal . Eighty-two percent of surveyed retirees are optimistic about their ability to live comfortably in retirement, up from 75 percent last year. The figure closely matches levels posted in 2005 and 2017, and it is the highest since the survey began in 1990. Among those who are still employed, 67 percent are confident in their financial prospects during retirement, up from 64 percent last year. The current level is so close to the survey's peak of 69 percent in 1999 that it is statistically indistinguishable, according to EBRI's Craig Copeland. In addition, the percentage of workers who are very confident, 23 percent, is dramatically higher than the 17 percent measured in 2018.