Question: We weren’t able to keep everyone employed during the pandemic, even though the business has continued with a skeleton crew. Unfortunately, we don’t expect to be in a position to rehire everyone for some time. Some of our employees are telling us that they are less confident now that they will be able to retire on time. Is that what you’re hearing from other companies?
Answer: Yes, retirement confidence has taken a hit for many because of repercussions of the pandemic. A January 7, 2021, article on Kiplinger’s summarized a poll they conducted with Personal Capital, a wealth management firm. In that poll, 43% reported less confidence in their ability to retire comfortably as a result of COVID-19. Forty percent said their confidence level has not changed, though. What are people planning to do about it? About one-third of them (34%) said their plans have not changed. Thirty-five percent said they expect to work longer, 34% plan to save more, and 20% said they will revise their activities and/or travel in retirement so it will be less costly. The poll shows that just over 34% said they took a distribution from a retirement account and 27.4% took a loan. Nearly one-third (32%) said their withdrawal was between $75,000 and $100,000, and 31% borrowed in that same range.
