Older Gen X Investors Report Retirement Income Worries, Survey Finds

A man and woman in their late 50s discuss a notebook and papers at a home desk.

Published October 19, 2026

At a glance

Among surveyed investors aged 55–60, 28% were extremely or very concerned about lifetime income, compared with 14% of those aged 61–75.
Across the consumer sample, 38% lacked a specific income plan; only 4% reported no plan at all.
The study covered 1,011 advised investors with $250,000 to under $2 million in assets, limiting broader comparisons.

Hero image: AI-generated conceptual illustration created with OpenAI for RestlessUrban. The people shown are not study participants.

Turning retirement savings into dependable income is a source of concern for older Gen X respondents in Global Atlantic’s 2026 Retirement Outlook Survey. But the findings describe a particular group: investors who already work with a financial professional, rather than everyone approaching retirement.

The insurer released the results on April 1, 2026, drawing on research conducted late in 2025. Its comparison puts respondents aged 55–60 alongside Boomers aged 61–75; it does not cover the whole Gen X generation.

Income worries differ across age groups

Among those aged 55–60, 28% said they were extremely or very concerned about having enough income to last their lifetime, compared with 14% of the older group.

Extremely or very concerned about lifetime retirement income: 28% of surveyed investors aged 55–60, versus 14% aged 61–75. — Graphic: RestlessUrban. Source: Global Atlantic 2026 Retirement Outlook Survey, released April 1, 2026. Fieldwork: November 21–December 11, 2025, by Artemis Strategy Group. Consumer sample: 1,011 US adults aged 55–75 with $250,000 to under $2 million in investable assets, all using a financial professional. Age-group sample sizes and margin of error are not given on the public source pages. Reported concern, not a prediction of financial failure or a comparison of generations at the same age. Select the graphic to view it full size.

In a separate question, 48% of Gen X respondents anticipated returning to work after retirement because of financial concerns, versus 21% of Boomers. That is an expectation, not evidence that respondents have returned to work or will necessarily need to do so.

The comparison also captures people at different stages of life. It cannot establish whether today’s older Gen X respondents are more anxious than Boomers were when they were the same age.

A gap between savings and an income plan

Across the consumer sample, 38% lacked a specific retirement income plan, according to the survey findings and methodology. This was not a Gen X-only result.

The breakdown matters: 19% had a general plan they considered insufficient, 15% had goals or a direction without a well-developed plan, and 4% had no plan for receiving retirement income. Treating all 38% as having no plan would overstate the gap.

For readers, the distinction is between an accumulated balance and a description of how it will fund spending. These findings measure reported concerns and planning, not an audit of whether someone’s savings will last.

Who the survey represents

Artemis Strategy Group conducted the nationwide online survey from November 21 to December 11, 2025. It included 1,011 consumers aged 55–75 with $250,000 to under $2 million in investable assets, all working with a financial professional, plus a separate sample of 505 financial professionals.

The asset and advice requirements limit its reach, particularly for households with fewer investments. The public pages do not give age-group sample sizes or a margin of error, so the comparisons should be read descriptively.

Global Atlantic sells retirement and insurance products. Its survey offers insight into its sampled investors’ concerns; it does not demonstrate that a particular product or strategy will resolve them.