New research from LIMRA and Life Happens, almost a quarter of Americans say they would dip into their retirement savings if they experienced a disability. But between tax penalties and loss of the opportunity for compounding interest, an early withdrawal can do more harm than good.

Ah, retirement. The reward at the end of years in the labor force, of saving and investing and planning for financially sound, restful, and even adventure-filled golden years. Millions of Americans enter retirement annually, but increased reliance on Social Security income and Covid-19’s impact on employment, access to social supports, and mental and physical health have altered the retirement experience for retirees across the U.S. With retiree numbers significantly increasing in the last year and predictions of more to come at an accelerated rate, we wanted to know if retirement still lives up to expectations. Are retirees experiencing the retirement they expected, or do they have regrets? 

Guaranteed income strategies have emerged as underutilized methods to not only help people save for retirement, but also provide a stream of income to sustain them during potentially longer life spans.