2026 DC Retirement at a Glance

1. WHO ISN’T A MILLIONAIRE? — The number of 401(k) account holders at Fidelity with balances over a million dollars increased from 595,000 in Q2 to a record 654,000. UBS estimates that in the US, 1,000 people per day joined the “moderate millionaire” ranks — those with 401(k) assets between $1 million and $5 million — in the past year. (Source: WSJ)

2. “BILLION-HEIRS” — In 2025, 287 people became billionaires. Of these, 196 were self-made, while 91 (64 men and 27 women) inherited their wealth. Western Europe had the highest number of new billionaires through inheritance (48), with ages ranging from 19 to 94, compared to North America, which had only 18 “billionheirs.” (Source: UBS)

3. FEARS VS. FUNDING — 48% of non-retired Gen X investors believe that the federal government will cut funding for Medicare and/or Social Security, which is up from 34% in early 2025. Despite these expectations, the percentage of non-retired Gen X investors contributing to employer retirement plans declined from 41% to 37%. (Source: Nationwide)*

4. WOMEN’S SOCIAL SECURITY RELIANCE — 77% of women are concerned that Social Security will not be available to them when they retire, compared to 68% of men. While more women are worried about the future of Social Security, 27% expect it to be their primary source of retirement income, compared to just 19% of men. (Source: Transamerica)

5. POORLY PAID, POORLY PREPARED — In 2024, 78.7% of US full-time workers participated in individual or employer retirement plans, with an average savings rate of 9.3%. Among workers earning over $150K, 94.5% participated in retirement plans and had an average savings rate of 12.3%. In contrast, only 52.9% of workers earning less than $50K participated in plans, and their average savings rate was just 4.6%. (Source: Dayforce)

6. FORGOING SAVING FOR CRYPTO — An October 2025 YouGov survey found that 26% of men aged 18–29 own cryptocurrencies, but only 21% have a 401(k) or other type of retirement account. Among full-time workers in that age group, the percentage owning crypto is the same as the percentage with a retirement account (37%), whereas 27% of part-time workers own crypto compared to 16% with retirement accounts. (Source: MarketWatch)

7. 91: JUST RIGHT — 76% of US adults surveyed hope to live past the age of 80, and the average age that Americans want to reach is 91. Among the sexes, men would prefer to live to an average age of 93, compared to 88 for women. Black adults want to live to 95, compared to 91 for whites, 89 for Hispanics, and 85 for Asians. (Source: Pew Research)

8. WHERE TO RETIRE — Based on factors including climate, health care, cost of living, housing, and immigration policies, International Living magazine ranked Greece, Panama, and Costa Rica as the three best countries to retire in. Greece ranked highly for its Golden Visa program, Panama scored high for its affordable, quality health care, and Costa Rica’s primary selling point is its climate. (Source: CNN)

9. TARGETING GROWTH — At the end of 2024, target date funds (TDFs) accounted for 30.3% of 401(k) assets, up from 15.8% in 2014. TDFs are an investment option in 85% of all 401(k) plans and serve as the default option for 87.2% of plans. (Source: PSCA)

QUESTION: 79% of millionaires describe themselves as self-made, while only 12% report having inherited their wealth. Overall, just 36% of millionaires consider themselves wealthy, and only 53% plan to leave an inheritance or charitable gift. What percentage of millionaires believe that their financial planning needs improvement?