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No matter how good the economy seems, people are stressed about money—and millennials are already stressing about how, and even whether, they'll be able to retire.
That's among the findings of a survey from the National Association of Financial Planners that also revealed that 45 percent of Americans say their current relationship with money itself is stressful. That number is even higher among millennials, half of whom say their relationship with money is stressful.
A third of millennials don't think they'll ever be able to retire, and a third regret the money they spent on college—no surprise, really, considering that student debt in the U.S. tops $1.5 trillion.
But one worry that hasn't gotten a lot of ink is the fear of having to support one's parents—something 37 percent of millennials dread.
Of course, millennials aren't the only ones who are fretting about retirement; according to the survey. Overall, 34 percent of respondents say they expect their finances to "stress them out" later in life, while only 26 percent expect to have "just enough to get by without working" once they retire.
And 22 percent feel they won't be able to enjoy their golden years because of money problems.
That's not to say they aren't looking forward—at least in part—to retirement, since 36 percent of respondents associate "retirement" with the word "dream"; 36 percent connect it with "joy"; and an optimistic 31 percent associate it with "reality."
But more than half of respondents haven't figured out their options for retiring.
Regardless of generation, respondents have some consistent goals for their money, such as planning for retirement (61 percent), achieving greater savings (52 percent), and paying off debts (50 percent).
The differences between the generations—driven by age and proximity to retirement—can be seen in regard to particulars, such as that worry of millennials that they might have to foot the bill for their parents.
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Marlene Satter
Marlene Y. Satter has worked in and written about the financial industry for decades.
