#financial-wellness

#financial-wellness

In Allianz Life's Q4 2025 Quarterly Market Perceptions Study, 51% of respondents said they had stopped or reduced retirement savings in the previous six months because of economic conditions. Nearly as many (47%) said they had withdrawn money from retirement accounts during that period. Payroll Integrations' 2025 Employee Financial Wellness Report uncovered similar behavior, with 38% of respondents saying they had tapped retirement savings. About one-third plan to do so again within the next year to cover emergency or everyday expenses.

The word "audit" might not sound all that fun. But just like an accountant, it's helpful to approach your money behavior as neutral and impersonal as possible.

I think the real question is not knowing if it's going to burst or boom. It's about making sure you'll be prepared for retirement, Brown Duckett told the outlet in an interview at TIAA's FutureWise conference earlier in the week. Brown Duckett added that investors should instead focus on building a diversified portfolio that includes guaranteed income through annuities or insurance products. It's not about timing the market. It's about how much time you put in the market, she said. Income has to be the outcome.

More than half of Americans report that they will run out of money when they stop earning a paycheck and millions haven't saved enough to maintain their standard of living in retirement, There is an urgent need to re-imagine the role record keepers play in financial wellness, and it starts by leveraging technology to close the gap between capabilities and customer expectations.

Self-distrust often stems from shame rather than a lack of ability, leading individuals to continuously doubt their financial decisions and capabilities.