Retirement delays rise as Americans worry about running out of money

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. Nearly one-third of surveyed Americans (31%) 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, while 75% of pre-retirees have considered or are delaying their retirement date, up from 70% in 2025. More than half of Americans ages 50 and older (53%) agree that the journey to retirement is becoming more flexible. Sixty percent of pre-retirees see retirement as a “gradual transition over time,” while only 21% associate retirement with stopping work completely. Nearly two thirds of pre-retirees (65%) view retirement as an opportunity to reinvent themselves, according to the survey. “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 r...