The Vanguard Retirement Outlook: Strong national progress, opportunities ahead

Vanguard

Research

30 Pages

Vanguard evaluates how prepared Americans are to sustain their lifestyle in retirement and which levers most improve outcomes. The paper centers on defined contribution (DC) access, generational differences, and targeted policy/design fixes. One notable stat: more than 4 in 10 Americans are currently on track to maintain their lifestyle in retirement.

Date Published: October 13, 2025

Key Takeaways

Access drives readiness: With workplace DC access, 54% are ready versus 28% without access.
Universal coverage uplift: Expanding DC access to all raises modeled readiness to about 6 in 10 Americans.
Cohort gaps persist: Younger workers outpace boomers; only top 30% of boomer earners are broadly retirement-ready.
VIEW FULL REPORT

Join our newsletter to have all of this content + Exclusive Newsletter Bonus Content delivered to your inbox every week

Related Content

Personal Finance
Forget Work. Passive Income Is the New American Dream.
Jul 2026
Personal Finance
From access to assets
Jul 2026
Wealth Management
Global Wealth Report 2026
Jul 2026

The information contained in this communication is of a general nature for informational purposes only, and does not constitute financial, investment, tax or legal advice. The information contained within this communication reflects the opinions of those referenced herein, and do not reflect the opinions of The Idea Farm, L.P. and its affiliates. Such opinions expressed herein are as of the date of production and are subject to change at any time without notice due to various factors, including changing market conditions or tax laws. Where data or information prepared by third parties is presented, no representation, warranty, or undertaking, expressed or implied, is given to the accuracy or completeness of such information by The Idea Farm, L.P. or any other person. While such sources are believed to be reliable, The Idea Farm, L.P. does not assume any responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of such information and does not undertake any obligation to update the information contained herein as of any future date. Any links to third party websites are offered only for use at your own discretion. The Idea Farm L.P., and its affiliates, are separate and unaffiliated from any third parties listed herein and are not responsible for their products, services, policies or the content of their website. All investments are subject to varying degrees of risk, and there can be no assurance that the future performance of any specific investment, investment strategy or product referenced directly or indirectly in this communication will be profitable, perform equally to any corresponding indicated historical performance level(s), or be suitable for your portfolio. Past performance is not an indicator of future results.

Scroll to Top