Key Takeaways
- The newest cohort of babies will be a part of Generation Beta, which includes those born between 2025 and 2039.
- A recent survey found that more than half (55%) of Americans said Gen Beta would struggle to save enough for retirement.
- Americans expected that Gen Beta would, on average, need $1.88 million in retirement savings.
The first of the Generation Beta are being born this year and their retirement outlook is already grim, according to their parents.
Potential parents of Generation Beta, which will include those born between 2025 and 2039, worry about Gen Beta’s ability to retire and save for that retirement. More than half (55%) of Americans surveyed by insurance company Prudential said Gen Beta would struggle to save enough for retirement. Respondents expect Gen Beta will need $1.88 million in retirement funds.
Some of the top obstacles to saving for retirement that people think the newest generation may face are the rising cost of living, an unstable economy, high medical expenses, and AI displacing jobs.
That means, even though 51% of those surveyed think Gen Beta will be wealthier compared to their previous generations, more than 60% also expect that generation to face more financial instability.
Prospective Parents of Gen Beta Want To Help Their Children Start Saving ASAP
More than half (58%) of prospective Generation Beta parents doubt that their children will ever be able to retire.
And most prospective parents said they wanted to help their children save for retirement: 80% of potential Gen Beta parents agree that, in an ideal world, parents would start saving for their child’s retirement from birth.
“Most new parents think about updating their health care plans or insurance policies, but that’s only the beginning. Reassessing your budget to ensure you’re accounting for long-term savings goals and factoring in expected rising costs for the entire family is a critical step,” said Brandon Goldstein, financial planner with Prudential Financial.
And that desire to assist their future children with saving for retirement may stem from their own experiences—the top regret of current and prospective parents was that they haven’t saved more for their own retirement.