Fidelity’s 2026 Retirement Study Finds Men Are 18 Points More Confident Than Women About Retiring on Their Terms Quick Read – Men report 81% confidence in retiring on their terms versus 63% for women, an 18-point gap driven by lifetime wage differences and caregiving…
terruptions. – Retirees with a written plan are nearly twice as likely to feel their savings will last a lifetime, with 81% expressing that confidence compared to just 45% of those without one. – The personal savings rate dropped from 6.2% to 3.7% between early 2024 and early 2026, shrinking room for retirement contributions as inflation erodes fixed incomes. – Are you ahead, or behind on retirement? SmartAsset’s free tool can match you with a financial advisor in minutes to help you answer that today
Each advisor has been carefully vetted, and must act in your best interests. Don’t waste another minute; learn more here. Fidelity’s 2026 Retirement Study captures a confidence gap that arrives years before any account statement confirms it.
Men report 81% confidence in retiring on their own terms, while women report 63%. This 18-percentage-point gap tracks a set of structural conditions that compound over a working life and then compound again in retirement. This infographic illustrates the 18-point retirement confidence gap between men and women, detailing key factors such as declining savings rates, reliance on Social Security, and an information deficit.