Even those who have plenty of cash—more than most Americans, in fact—are worried about how they'll make out during retirement.
In a new LIMRA Secure Retirement Institute study, respondents—at three different levels of affluence: $500,000 to $999,999, $1 million to $3.5 million, and $3.5 million-plus—were surprisingly not all that confident about maintaining their lifestyle during retirement.
While almost 70 percent said that was their top financial goal, and 80 percent said they were confident they'd be able to do that, only four out of 10 said they were "strongly confident" that they'd be able to sustain their current lifestyle once they depart the workplace.
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Among their worries are the potential for market volatility, rising inflation, living more years in retirement, and unexpected events using up what they have and reducing them to a lesser standard of living.
Having a formal written plan apparently relieves some of that anxiety, with 54 percent of those who have them saying they are "very confident" that they'll be able to hold onto their desired lifestyle once they're retired.
However, only about half of affluent investors even have a formal written plan.
The plan makes a difference in how prepared investors feel for retirement, as well.
Among those who don't have a plan, only 17 percent of the affluent households surveyed responded that they feel "extremely well prepared" for retirement, while among those who do have such a plan, 30 percent felt that way.
In addition, among those who have a plan, 54 percent feel "very confident" about life in retirement, compared with just 28 percent of those who lack a formal written plan.
The existence of a plan also influenced how the affluent felt about their advisors, with just 14 percent of those lacking a plan saying that they trusted their advisor and the advice they get—while, among those who have a plan, 42 percent trust the advisor and his or her advice.
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