Fewer people think retirement will 'take a miracle,' report finds. But inflation worries persist

Americans are feeling more optimistic when it comes to retirement.

Just 21% Americans surveyed by Natixis Investment Managers said it will “take a miracle” to have a secure retirement, down almost half from 41% who said the same in 2021.

Part of that confidence stems from the S&P 500 index’s two consecutive years of returns exceeding 20% — half of survey respondents said those results made investing look easy, according to Natixis.

Yet 69% of the 750 Americans surveyed earlier this year said they still worry about instability and the potential financial impact.

Among their top retirement concerns are the possibility they may live longer than expected, the worry their Social Security benefits may be cut and the fear that high inflation could erode their retirement savings.