Retirement Reconsidered (and Reinvented) 2026: Americans Embrace a More Flexible Path
Key Highlights
- ➤75% of pre-retirees have considered or are delaying retirement, up from 70% in 2025
- ➤51% of pre-retirees plan to semi-retire
- ➤52% of those delaying retirement worry they will not have enough money
- ➤67% need to invest or increase investment in guaranteed-income products
- ➤Gen X financial readiness: only 11% give themselves an A
Expert Statements
Conor Murphy, CEO and President of F&G
“Americans, no matter their savings or income bracket, aren't simply reconsidering when they retire; they're reconsidering what retirement itself looks like”
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.”
Conor Murphy, CEO and President of F&G
“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.”
Ron Barrett, Chief Distribution Officer at F&G
“The roadmap to retirement is no longer a straight line, which makes personalized financial planning increasingly important”
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.”
Ron Barrett, Chief Distribution Officer at F&G
“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.”
Retirement Reconsidered (and Reinvented) 2026: Americans Embrace a More Flexible Path PR Newswire
* 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.
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