From coast to coast, Americans face different retirement planning challenges.

Even for a large and diverse country, there are many similarities among U.S. investors’ attitudes and needs for retirement planning. A recent Advisor Authority survey, powered by the Nationwide Retirement Institute®, highlights similarities but also uncovered key differences that can help financial professionals address the specific needs of clients in their local market.

Retirement expectations are changing.

For many Americans, uncertainty in the economy and the markets have affected their financial outlook. Three in five of all investors agree their retirement expectations have changed significantly in the last five years. That’s makes it all the more important to stress the value of staying the course with clients.

Couple in their 60s sitting on steps outside smiling and laughing.

Percentage of investors who agree at least somewhat that their retirement expectations have changed significantly in the last five years:

Map of the USA displaying Percentage of investors who agree at least somewhat that their retirement expectations have changed significantly in the last five years. Results are: All investors: 61%. West 56%. Midwest 57%. South 65%. Northeast 62%.

Many people are ignoring retirement planning.

Across the country, many people aren’t even thinking about retirement—until it gets too close to ignore. Two-thirds of all investors (67%) report spending no time in a typical month planning for retirement.

Mother and daughter looking over a document with a financial professional.

Map of the USA documenting the percentage of investors who estimate they spend zero percent of their time in a typical month planning for retirement. Results are: 66% west. 76% Midwest. 61% South. 69% Northeast.

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Help clients focus on all aspects of their financial plans.

A holistic financial plan has many parts. As a financial professional, you play an important role with your clients in addressing the financial planning topics they need help with to ensure they are covering all the bases when it comes to their financial plan.

Table showing what topics are financial professionals talking about with clients. The topics included are tax planning strategies, retirement health care and medicare options, converting retirement savings to income, strategies for claiming social security benefits, and considering long-term care options.

Find resources and support for your client conversations.

Nationwide supports investors and their financial professionals across the country in many different ways—from investing for the future, to securing retirement income, to protecting wealth for the next generation. Look to us for resources and solutions that can help you build strong client relationships and help your clients plan their financial future.

Learn more about the topics that are relevant to your clients.

Methodology: This material is not a recommendation to buy or sell a financial product or to adopt an investment strategy. Investors should discuss their specific situation with their financial professional.

The Harris Poll, on behalf of Nationwide, conducted an online survey in the U. S. among 610 advisors and financial professionals and 2,496 investors ages 18+ with investable assets (IA) of $10K+, August 26-September 13, 2024. Among investors, there were 492 Northeasterners, 463 Midwesterners, 990 Southerners, and 551 Westerners. Among advisors, there were 135 Northeasterners, 137 Midwesterners, 195 Southerners, and 143 Westerners. The respondents were bucketed into each region based on the state they indicated living in.

For complete survey methodology, including weighting variables and subgroup sample sizes, please contact vasask@nationwide.com.

Nationwide Investment Services Corporation (NISC), member FINRA, Columbus, OH. Nationwide Retirement Institute is a division of NISC.