12/14/2005 NORTHBROOK, Ill. -
It's that time of the year when Americans set lofty goals to improve their lives by ditching unhealthy habits like smoking or overeating. In that spirit, a survey by Allstate suggests that people start the year off right with a savings plan that they can stick to all year.
Allstate's fifth annual "Retirement Reality Check" survey, which measures Americans attitudes about saving for retirement, gives insight on tactics that can help you achieve your resolutions.
"Our survey asked people what goal is hardest to achieve, and the clear front-runners were saving for retirement, losing weight and stopping smoking," said Casey Sylla, president, Allstate Financial, a business unit of The Allstate Corporation. "A distant fourth-place goal was staying physically fit."
The survey also asked respondents what tactic would be the best first step to achieve the goal they declared was toughest. Regardless what goal respondents cited as most difficult, having a goal or plan was the No. 1 tactic suggested. The second most-mentioned tactic was getting professional help.
Sylla said the growth of smoking-cessation and weight-loss programs demonstrates that people are willing to seek help to find a plan that works for them. Using the same tactics to work out a savings plan that suits individual needs should make it easier for people to achieve retirement goals, he said.
"So often New Year's resolutions are abandoned after only a few weeks because people can't see the light at the end of the tunnel," Sylla said. "Our survey suggests that people are more likely to succeed if they set reasonable goals. Instead of seeing the goal only as the whole piece, saving $50,000 for retirement or losing 40 pounds, doing these things in manageable steps will allow people to be more successful."
Professional advice can help people identify goals that are significant but achievable, he said. "Once people see results, it is easier to stick to a plan or even increase the goal," he added.
Seeking advice might be particularly useful in creating a savings plan because there are so many factors to consider, he said.
"When it comes to saving for retirement, people need to consider a combination of their current income and expenses as well as their long-term lifestyle goals," he said. "When you look at the big picture, it is easier to identify goals that are achievable and trade-offs you're willing to make to get, and stay, fiscally fit."
Allstate recommends that people follow 10 steps to create a retirement savings plan that addresses short- and long-term needs. Those 10 steps are:
People need to pay particular attention to their assumptions about Social Security benefits. The Allstate survey showed that the majority of respondents are extremely pessimistic about Social Security, with 57 percent saying they have "major concerns" that their benefits will be reduced or even eliminated. Another 27 percent cited this as a minor concern.
Only 16 percent said Social Security is not a concern at all. But at the same time, only 2 percent of respondents said that drastic changes to Social Security would prompt them to start saving more for retirement.
"It isn't logical to have a concern but then do nothing to address it," Sylla said. "This underscores why it's so important for people to take a hard, critical look at what income they truly expect to have in retirement."
Download the mini executive summary (New Year's Resolution (PDF)) of the Allstate "Retirement Reality Check" survey.
Allstate created the fifth annual "Retirement Reality Check" survey in conjunction with Mathew Greenwald & Associates. Using a random digit dialing methodology, Greenwald & Associates polled 1,601 people born between 1946 and 1978, with household incomes of $35,000 or more. Retirees were accepted with incomes of at least $20,000. The margin of error (at the 95 percent confidence level) for the total number of respondents in this study is ±2.5 percent, ±3.8 percent for information specific to Gen Xers, ±4.5 percent for Baby Boomers.
Allstate Life Insurance Company, Lincoln Benefit Life Company and American Heritage Life Insurance Company (Allstate Workplace Division) are proud members of the Insurance Marketplace Standards Association - IMSA. Our membership signifies our commitment to honesty and fairness in the sales and service of individually sold life insurance and annuity products.
The Allstate Corporation (NYSE: ALL) is the nation's largest publicly held personal lines insurer. Widely known through the "You're In Good Hands With Allstate®" slogan, Allstate helps individuals in approximately 17 million households protect what they have today and better prepare for tomorrow through approximately 13,600 exclusive agencies and financial professionals in the U.S. and Canada. Customers can access Allstate products and services such as auto insurance and homeowners insurance through Allstate agencies, or in select states at allstate.com and 1-800 Allstate®. EncompassSM and Deerbrook® Insurance brand property and casualty products are sold exclusively through independent agents. Allstate Financial Group provides life insurance, supplemental accident and health insurance, annuity, banking and retirement products designed for individual, institutional and worksite customers that are distributed through Allstate agencies, independent agencies, financial institutions and broker-dealers.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Rebecca Hirsch, Media Relations, (847) 402-5600
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