Retirement Insights

A Review of Existing Measures of Retirement Well-Being

A Review of Existing Measures of Retirement Well-Being

Research from the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College

Surveys show that a substantial number of US households are not able to maintain their standard of living in retirement and many retirees express regret about not saving enough. However, the overwhelming majority of retirees say they are satisfied with their lives. This brief examines the existing measurements of well-being and the disconnect between objective financial measures and retirees’ life satisfaction. The weak relationship highlights the need for more comprehensive measurements of retirement well-being and reveals the challenges of assessing how worried individuals and policy makers should be about households falling short in retirement.

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Since 2018, First Eagle Investments has collaborated with the Boston College Center for Retirement Research (CRR) to develop actionable insights and tools for plan sponsors, consultants and financial professionals. Leveraging CRR’s decades of scholarly research and First Eagle’s many years of practical experience, together we are committed to serving as a steadfast resource in support of American workers’ journey toward secure retirement. 

This content is part of a series of wide-ranging insights that explore key challenges that retirement savers face in the years leading up to and while in retirement. Additional topics address how different workers save in their company-sponsored retirement plans, what affects spending in retirement, and the impact of healthcare expenses for different segments of the retiree population.

These materials are provided for informational purposes only. These opinions are not intended to be a forecast of future events, a guarantee of future results, or investment advice. Any statistics contained herein have been obtained from sources believed to be reliable, but the accuracy of this information cannot be guaranteed. The views expressed herein may change at any time subsequent to the date of issue hereof. The information provided is not to be construed as a recommendation or an offer to buy or sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy or sell any security. The information in this piece is not intended to provide and should not be relied on for accounting, legal, and tax advice. 

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