The Employee Benefits Research Institute (EBRI) and Mathew Greenwald and Associates conducted the 2004 Retirement Confidence Survey (RCS), which was underwritten by the TIAA-CREF Institute. This survey measures American worker"s attitudes concerning retirement saving and planning, and examines their behavior to achieve their expressed retirement goals.
According to the press release issued by EBRI and Mathew Greenwald and Associates, the 2004 RCS provides several reasons why some Americans are not saving for retirement, and also offers some insight into what kind of educational approaches are most effective in prompting individuals to change their financial behavior. Apparently, unrealistic expectations and not knowing how much they will need to retire comfortably add to American workers" optimistic sense of confidence that they will be adequately prepared for retirement.
The RCS is a comprehensive study of the attitudes and behaviors of American workers and retirees toward saving, retirement planning, and long-term financial security. The RCS contains a core set of questions that is asked annually, allowing for key attitudes and behavior patterns to be tracked over time.
Four survey "fact sheet" summaries have been prepared and are available for your review. The summary sheets cover the following:
- saving and retiring in America;
- attitudes and behaviors of workers and retirees;
- age comparisons among workers, and
- gender comparisons among workers.
