When it comes to a secure retirement many Kentuckians are in danger in part because they lack access to a retirement account at work that can help them save, new research by the Kentucky Center for Economic Policy shows.
The population is aging in Kentucky and across the country as the baby boomers reach retirement age, with the share of Kentuckians over the age of 65 expected to grow from 15 percent today to 20 percent by 2030. Yet too many in the state are deeply underprepared for financial security in retirement. The growing elimination of more secure defined benefit plans in the private (and more recently the public) sector has worsened the problem, and the current level of Social Security benefits is not adequate for a decent standard of living. The average defined contribution account (such as a 401(k)) balance for current workers in Kentucky was only $32,499 in 2012, and many workers have jobs where no type of plan is offered at all. More must be done at all levels of government to promote a more secure retirement for the sake of retirees and the economy as a whole.
To read the report in PDF form, click here.
