Athene’s 2026 Retirement Outlook, developed in collaboration with leaders from Apollo and Vitera, examines the structural forces reshaping retirement security in the year ahead. The report identifies two primary risks for retirees and near-retirees: concentrated equity exposure in portfolios and the renewed threat of inflation. Against that backdrop, the outlook makes a case for guaranteed income solutions as a core allocation in retirement portfolios — one that can provide predictability that Treasuries, cash, and other traditional safe havens cannot offer in the same way. The report also highlights how annuity design has modernized, how benchmarks in the retirement system are shifting from fees to outcomes, and how the defined contribution space is beginning to integrate income-focused options as default structures. For clients approaching or already in retirement, the findings reflect a broader industry shift toward building retirement plans around income certainty rather than account balances alone.

The 2026 Retirement Confidence Survey, conducted jointly by the Employee Benefit Research Institute and Greenwald Research, finds that Americans are less confident about retirement than at any point since 2017. Both workers and retirees reported declining confidence, driven by a combination of rising costs, growing debt burdens, healthcare expenses, and deepening concern about the future of Social Security and Medicare. Workers are also finding it harder to handle financial emergencies, with emergency savings readiness slipping from prior years. At the same time, a gap persists between when workers expect to retire and when retirees actually did — most retired before age 65, often earlier than planned. The findings highlight a retirement landscape that is growing more complex, with Americans facing immediate financial pressure alongside long-term structural uncertainty.

A new Fidelity study suggests retirement is becoming more flexible and personalized, with many Americans moving away from the traditional “stop working” model. Instead, individuals are increasingly planning gradual transitions, part-time work, or alternative income streams during retirement. While financial concerns such as inflation and cost of living remain, a growing number of people are redefining retirement as a phased and adaptable stage of life. The findings highlight that retirement planning now extends beyond savings and income, incorporating lifestyle preferences, timing, and personal goals.