Workers around the world expect to retire at 61

Workers around the world expect to retire at 61, a survey of 31,359 people by AXA Equitable found. In the U.S., people expect to retire at age 63.

And they don’t expect retirement to be easy. Forty-three percent of workers don’t expect their retirement income will be sufficient, and 30% of retirees share that negative sentiment.

Nonetheless, only 46% of workers around the world have started to prepare for retirement, and 37% said they will prepare for retirement later. Americans are procrastinating on retirement savings far less.

Among U.S. workers, 72% have started saving for retirement—and at an earlier age, with the average age of those saving for retirement being 31 in the U.S., compared to 34 around the world.

The survey also found that employer contributions most often trigger a worker to begin saving for retirement, followed by reaching a key age and advice from family or friends.

Americans have the most self-reliant view of retirement savings of any nationality, with 58% of those polled preferring to fund their retirement savings on their own rather than depending on the government.

In addition, U.S. workers prefer meeting face-to-face with someone when purchasing an investment.

"Our survey shows people realize they will be increasingly dependent on personal savings in retirement but aren’t ready," says Andrew McMahon, senior executive vice president of AXA Equitable and president of its financial protection and wealth management business. "Clearly, individuals are coming to terms with the reality that they won’t be able to retire until many years after they hoped, unless they prepare successfully," he adds.

Barney is the editor of Money Management Executive, a SourceMedia publication.Follow EBN on: Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn | Podcasts