Retirement Reconsidered (and Reinvented) 2026: Americans Embrace a More Flexible Path

Only 11% of surveyed Gen X respondents give themselves an A for retirement financial readiness, compared with 20% of respondents aged 50+ overall.

Rhea-AI Summary

F&G Annuities & Life (NYSE: FG) published its fourth annual Retirement Reconsidered survey, examining changing retirement plans among Americans aged 50 and older. Among pre-retirees, 51% plan to semi-retire, while 75% have considered or are delaying retirement, up from 70% in 2025. Also, 60% view retirement as a gradual transition, and 21% associate it with stopping work completely.

Financial pressures remain a factor: 51% of pre-retirees expect to retire later than originally planned, versus 45% in 2025. Among those considering or delaying retirement, 52% worry about insufficient money, up from 48% last year. Among surveyed Americans aged 50+, 75% prefer financial certainty and predictable income even at the expense of investment growth potential. The survey covered 2,001 U.S. adults aged 50+ who make or share household financial decisions and have $100,000+ in investable assets.

Key Figures

Plan to semi-retire: 51% Considered or delaying retirement: 75% Expect to retire later than planned: 51% +4 more

Plan to semi-retire

51%

Respondents who are not yet retired

Considered or delaying retirement

75%

Pre-retirees; up from 70% in 2025

Expect to retire later than planned

51%

Pre-retirees; up from 45% in 2025

Worry about not having enough money

52%

Those considering or delaying retirement; up from 48% last year

Prefer financial certainty and predictable income

75%

Even if it limits investment growth potential

Seek products delivering guaranteed income

67%

Say they feel the need to invest or increase investment

Survey sample

2,001 US adults

Age 50+; household-finance decision-makers with $100k+ investable assets

Key Terms

annuities, indexed universal life insurance

2 terms

annuities financial

"products, such as annuities, and protection products"

Annuities are contracts sold by insurance companies that convert a lump sum or series of payments into a guaranteed stream of future income, either immediately or after a set period. For investors, they matter because they provide predictable cash flow—like a private pension—while carrying trade-offs in liquidity, fees and credit risk of the issuer, which can affect portfolio income stability and overall returns.

indexed universal life insurance financial

"protection products, such as indexed universal life insurance"

A type of permanent life insurance that combines a death benefit with a cash-value account whose credited interest is linked to the performance of a stock-market index (for example, the S&P 500) but is not directly invested in the market. Policyholders typically pay flexible premiums within contractual limits; the insurer credits interest based on formulas that may include a cap, a participation rate, and a floor (often 0%), so gains are limited while losses are buffered. The policy’s cash value can be borrowed against or withdrawn under the contract, and outstanding loans or withdrawals reduce the death benefit and may affect the policy’s performance or lapse status.

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• F&G's Fourth Annual Retirement Reconsidered Survey Finds That Americans Are Rethinking When They Retire and What Retirement Looks Like
• 51% of Pre-retirees Plan to Semi-retire, While 75% Have Considered or Are Delaying Retirement

DES MOINES, Iowa, Oct. 15, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Retirement is becoming less of a single moment when Americans stop working and more of a gradual transition, according to the fourth annual Retirement Reconsidered survey from F&G Annuities & Life, Inc. (NYSE: FG) (F&G), a leading provider of insurance solutions serving retail annuity and life customers and institutional clients. Nearly one third (31%) of surveyed Americans over the age of 50 consider themselves semi-retired or plan to be. More than half of respondents who are not yet retired (51%) say they plan to semi-retire. At the same time, three-quarters (75%) of pre-retirees have considered or are delaying their retirement date, up from 70% in 2025.

Americans Aren't Just Delaying Retirement, They're Redesigning It

The survey underscores how many Americans over age 50 are rethinking retirement and how the traditional definition is evolving to become more flexible and personalized with Generation X (Gen X) and pre-retirees driving this trend. Other key findings include:

• More than half (53%) of Americans ages 50+ agree the journey to retirement is becoming more flexible
• 60% of pre-retirees see retirement as a "gradual transition over time"
• Only 21% of pre-retirees associate retirement with stopping work completely
• Nearly two thirds (65%) of pre-retirees view retirement as an opportunity to reinvent themselves

"Americans, no matter their savings or income bracket, aren't simply reconsidering when they retire; they're reconsidering what retirement itself looks like," said Conor Murphy, CEO and President of F&G. "For some, that means choosing to work less, transitioning gradually into retirement or even reinventing themselves in a new chapter, while for others, original plans are giving way to financial realities. As retirement becomes more flexible and individualized, it's important to provide retirees and pre-retirees with accessible planning solutions to evolve with changing needs and allow for greater certainty and confidence along the way."

Outside Forces Are Reshaping Retirement Plans

Even as retirement itself becomes more flexible, financial and economic pressures continue to reshape Americans' plans. More than half (51%) of pre-retirees surveyed say they expect to retire later than originally planned, up from 45% in 2025. For those considering or delaying retirement, 52% worry they won't have enough money, up from 48% last year.

Other financial uncertainties are also weighing on retirement decisions. Social Security availability (46%) tops the list of factors influencing retirement planning among Americans age 50 and above, followed closely by healthcare/long-term care expenses (43%) and Medicare availability (31%).

The evolution of retirement also comes as Americans age 50 and over report that economic and other external factors are having a greater impact on their decision-making than they did a year ago. More than half (57%) say the events of 2026 have impacted their retirement planning, up from 49% in 2025. Among pre-retirees, that rose to 70%, up from 61% last year.

The impact is even more pronounced among Gen X, with more than two-thirds (68%) saying the events of 2026 have affected their retirement decision-making, up 11 percentage points from last year. By comparison, about half of Baby Boomers (51%) say the same today.

Seeking Predictability in an Uncertain Retirement Landscape

Even as Americans surveyed embrace greater flexibility in how retirement looks, the findings show a strong preference for financial certainty and predictability, alongside concerns about retirement readiness, particularly among Gen X.

Key findings include:

• Three-quarters (75%) would rather have greater financial certainty and predictable income, even if it limits investment growth potential
• Two-thirds (67%) say they feel the need to invest or increase investment in products that deliver guaranteed income in the future, rising to 73% among Gen X
• Only 11% of Gen X give themselves an A for financial readiness as they prepare for retirement, compared with 20% of Americans ages 50+ overall

"The roadmap to retirement is no longer a straight line, which makes personalized financial planning increasingly important," said Ron Barrett, Chief Distribution Officer at F&G. "A financial professional can help individuals think through how their assets will support the different stages of retirement and secure a financial legacy through a customized plan that provides predictability along the way. Guaranteed income products, such as annuities, and protection products, such as indexed universal life insurance, can be important parts of that conversation by helping provide reliable income and greater financial confidence throughout retirement, no matter what path that journey takes."

For more information on F&G's latest survey, please visit fglife.com/research. 

Survey Methodology

This research was conducted by Censuswide, among a sample of 2001 US Adults Aged 50+, 'decision-makers' for household finances (or shared decision making), with $100k+ investable assets. The data was collected between 8/4/2026 – 8/31/2026.

About F&G

F&G Annuities & Life, Inc. is committed to helping Americans turn their aspirations into reality. F&G is a leading provider of insurance solutions serving retail annuity and life customers and institutional clients and is headquartered in Des Moines, Iowa. For more information, please visit fglife.com.    

Media Contact

Gabrielle Simon
pro-F&G@prosek.com
413.695.3818

Investor Contact:

Lisa Foxworthy-Parker
SVP of Investor & External Relations
515.330.3307
Investor.relations@fglife.com

 

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/retirement-reconsidered-and-reinvented-2026-americans-embrace-a-more-flexible-path-302908876.html

SOURCE F&G Annuities & Life, Inc.

FAQ

AI-generated questions and answers. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.

What did F&G's 2026 Retirement Reconsidered survey find about delaying retirement?

75% of pre-retirees have considered or are delaying retirement, up from 70% in 2025. Separately, 51% expect to retire later than originally planned, compared with 45% in 2025. Among those considering or delaying retirement, 52% worry they will not have enough money.

What factors influence retirement planning in F&G's 2026 survey?

Social Security availability (46%) tops the factors influencing retirement planning among surveyed Americans aged 50+, followed by healthcare and long-term care expenses (43%) and Medicare availability (31%). These findings describe respondents' planning concerns, rather than changes to those programs.

Who participated in F&G's 2026 Retirement Reconsidered survey, and when was it conducted?

Censuswide conducted the research among 2,001 U.S. adults aged 50+ who make or share household financial decisions and have $100,000+ in investable assets. Data collection ran from August 4 through August 31, 2026.