M A Y 2018 MassMutual Asian American Retirement Risk Study
Background & Methodology Background To better understand the investment preferences and philosophies of those approaching retirement as well as retirees, MassMutual commissioned a survey of pre-retirees within 15 years of retirement and of retirees no more than 15 years into retirement. Methodology On behalf of MassMutual, Greenwald & Associates, an independent research firm, conducted an online survey that included 804 pre-retirees and 801 retirees. Respondents were drawn from ResearchNow s online panel. To qualify for the survey, all respondents had to be at least 40 years old. Pre-retirees were required to have a household income of at least $40,000, work full-time for a private sector employer, and be participating in that employer s DC retirement plan. Retirees were required to have total investable assets of at least $100,000. They had to be retired from a private sector employer and participating in that employer s DC retirement plan at the time of retirement. The survey fielded in January 2018. This survey also included oversamples of some key sub-groups of the population, including. Between the main sample and oversample we collected 199 interviews from, including 129 pre-retirees and 70 retirees. Please note that Asian American is defined in this research as Chinese, Asian Indian and Korean. 2
Asian American Key Findings are more vigilant investors compared to Americans overall. Making a poor investment decision (67% vs. 54%) and taking on too much risk (69% vs. 44%) are more concerning to. Asian American pre-retirees (75%) are especially concerned about taking on too much investment risk. Their cautiousness translates to their retirement investment approach and market expectations. Asian Americans are more likely than Americans overall to believe workers approaching retirement should cut back on investing in equities (64% vs. 53%). They are more likely to aim for their assets to match the market (43% vs. 32%), while Americans overall are more inclined to want their assets to outperform the market(65% vs. 55%). are less likely to have committed a bad plan behavior. One in four Americans overall (25%) have withdrawn money from their retirement account, taken out a hardship loan, or suspended contributions; only one in ten say the same (11%). Despite expressed opinions about cautious investing, there is no significant difference between and Americans overall in regard to their overall risk tolerance and their current investment mix. have a stronger preference to be heavily involved in managing their finances and investments. are less likely to work with an advisor. A little over one in three Americans overall are not currently working with an advisor (35%) compared to nearly 7 in 10 (69%). There is a very strong desire among Asian American retirees in particular to be in control of their finances. Compared to general population retirees, Asian American retirees are more likely to enjoy managing their own money (80% vs. 59%). When looking only at, only two in five retirees (42%) prefer an investment that allows them set-it-and-for-get-it compared to nearly three in four pre-retirees (72%). Target Date Funds are a little less appealing to as one in ten (11%) find them very appealing compared to one in six Americans overall (17%). 3
Asian American Key Findings There is room for financial education and improved marketing efforts to. Fewer are confident projecting how many years they will spend in retirement and therefore are not planning to meet those needs. Over half of (53%) are uncertain about the length of their retirement compared to a little over one-third of Americans overall (36%). Moreover, fewer Asian American retirees (63%) are confident they know how to claim Social Security at the right time to maximize its benefits, than American retirees overall (75%). These data suggest that workplace retirement plans are less satisfactory to. Though total plan satisfaction rates are comparable between and Americans overall, are less likely to be very satisfied with several aspects of their retirement plans including the performance of investments in that plan (36% vs. 19%), options available at retirement (34% vs. 17%), and education and advice available through the plan (29% vs. 14%). 4
Health care costs and being in poor health are the top retirement concerns for. Greatest Worry About Retirement Years Health and long-term care costs 26% 33% Not having enough money to enjoy yourself 17% 22% Running out of money 13% 18% Losing the ability to be active 15% 14% Being in poor health 13% 18% Feeling less useful Losing touch with family and friends 4% 2% 2% 2% What is your greatest worry about your retirement years? ( n=1,605; n=199) 5
are more confident than Americans overall they will have enough money to meet their retirement lifestyle goals. Fewer Asian American retirees (63%) feel they know how to claim Social Security at the right time compared to retirees overall (75%). Nearly all Asian American retirees (96%) are confident their retirement income will last their lifetime; fewer than two in three Asian American pre-retirees (63%) say the same. Asian American pre-retirees are more likely than pre-retirees overall to indicate they are not worried about financing their retirement (51% vs. 37%). Agree/Disagree Strongly agree Somewhat agree Somewhat disagree Strongly disagree (I know how to/i did) claim Social Security at the right time to optimize my income 13% 21% 53% 47% 23% 24% 7% 11% My retirement income will last as long as I live 13% 14% 52% 56% 28% 27% 7% 3% I have enough money to meet my retirement lifestyle goals 14% 14% 48% 60% 29% 23% 9% 3% I am not worried about financing my retirement 10% 11% 36% 44% 39% 33% 15% 12% To what extent do you agree or disagree with each of the following statements? ( n=1,605; n=199) 6
Seven in ten (72%) believe they need a retirement income replacement rate of less than 75%. Asian American pre-retirees are more likely than pre-retirees overall to anticipate needing to replace 90% or more of their pre-retirement income in retirement (17% vs. 7%). Pre-Retirement Income Total 27% 25% 24% 30% 26% 16% 17% 14% 6% 12% 1% 1% Less than 50% 50% to less than two-thirds (65%) Two-thirds (66%) to less than 75% 75% to less than 90% 90% to 100% More than 100%/More income than when you were working [IF PRE-RETIREE] About what percentage of your pre-retirement income do you think you will need to live comfortably in retirement? [IF RETIREE] Now that you re retired, about what percentage of your pre-retirement income do you find you need to live comfortably? ( n=1,605; n=199) 7
Over half of are uncertain about the length of their retirement; one-third of Americans overall say the same. On average, Asian American retirees plan to spend a longer time in retirement than Asian American pre-retirees (28 years vs. 21 years). Expected Years of Living Comfortably in Retirement vs. Years in Retirement Years savings will last General Population Years in retirement Years savings will last Years in retirement Less than 10 10-19 3% 2% 14% 18% Median Years in Retirement 24 21 Less than 10 10-19 6% 2% 12% 18% 20-29 30-39 23% 28% 15% 13% Median Years Savings Will Last 25 20 20-29 30-39 16% 17% 14% 9% 40-49 50 or more 5% 2% 3% <0.5% Income Gap 1-1 40-49 50 or more 6% 2% 3% 0% Not sure/no way of knowing 37% 36% Not sure/no way of knowing 43% 53% Based on all of your sources of income in retirement, for how many years do you think your savings and investments will provide enough income for you to live comfortably in retirement? ( n=1,605; n=199) 8
Concern about making a poor investment decision and taking on too much risk is higher among Asian Americans compared to Americans overall. Asian American pre-retirees have higher concern about taking on too much investment risk, as three in four (75%) are at least somewhat concerned compared to a little less than half of pre-retirees overall (49%) and Asian American retirees (46%). Compared to Asian American retirees, pre-retirees are more likely to be at least somewhat concerned about falling short on income in retirement (77% vs. 48%) and low interest rates (72% vs. 31%). Major losses in the value of your investments right before you retire* Level of Concern Very concerned Somewhat concerned Not too concerned Not at all concerned (n=804) (n=129) 38% 44% 43% 40% 16% 12% 3% 3% A major downturn in the stock market 30% 31% 47% 49% 19% 15% 4% 5% Stock market volatility 21% 19% 51% 58% 23% 17% 5% 6% Making a poor investment decision that leads to significant loss 19% 37% 35% 30% 37% 27% 9% 6% Taking too much investment risk 14% 16% 31% 53% 45% 26% 10% 5% How concerned are you about each of the following [IF PRE-RETIREE: in retirement]? ( n=1,605; n=199) *Asked of pre-retirees only 9
Seven in ten are comfortable taking at least some investment risk, similar to Americans overall. Investment Risk I am comfortable taking a high level of investment risk, in order to have the possibility of high investment returns 8% 12% I am comfortable with some investment risk, in order to have the possibility of above average investment returns 58% 68% I am only comfortable with a little investment risk, even though I know I have to accept below average investment returns 21% 28% I cannot accept any investment risk, and I am willing to accept very low investment returns 3% 2% Which statement comes closest to describing how comfortable you are when it comes to taking investment risk? ( n=1,605; Asian Americans n=199) 10
Roughly four in five say their current investment mix is tilted towards moderate growth or is balanced. Current Investment Risk Aggressive growth Moderate growth Balance between growth and preserving your money Preservation with some growth Completely focused on preservation Not sure 10% 8% 42% 42% 37% 40% 7% 8% 2% 1% 2% <0.5% How would you describe the investment mix you currently have? ( n=1,605; n=199) 11
are more likely than Americans overall to be aiming for their investments to match the market. Aim for Investments NET: Outperform the Market -65% -58% 52% 42% 43% 32% 13% 13% 3% 2% 1% <0.5% Significantly outperform the market Slightly outperform the market Match the market Slightly underperform the market Significantly underperform the market When it comes to your investments, do you aim for them to...? ( n=1,605; n=199) 12
Nearly all want their investments to continue to grow, but are more likely to suggest workers invest less in equities as retirement approaches. Agree/Disagree Strongly agree Somewhat agree Somewhat disagree Strongly disagree I want my investments to continue to grow even after I retire 41% 59% 54% 38% 3% 5% It is important to take steps to ensure you do not suffer major stock market losses right before you retire 34% 40% 54% 62% 6% 4% As workers approach retirement, they should significantly cut back how much they invest in stocks and stock mutual funds 9% 8% 45% 56% 38% 28% 8% 7% To what extent do you agree or disagree with each of the following statements? ( n=1,605; n=199) 13
are less likely to strongly believe they should become significantly more conservative in retirement. Americans overall are a little more likely than to prefer Theory A. Preferred Approach to Retirement Investing Theory A: Become significantly more conservative with their money because they need to withdraw income and may not be able to replace assets when the market drops Net: Theory A 41% 32% 35% Theory B: Do not be substantially more conservative with their money because they could live a long time after retirement and need to grow money Net: Theory B 31% 33% 26% 28% 27% 27% 16% 12% 20% 4% 6% Completely follow Theory A Follow in Theory A more than Theory B Follow in both equally Follow Theory B more than Theory A Completely follow Theory B Which of the following comes closest to how you approach retirement investing? ( n=1,605; n=199) 14
are less likely than Americans overall to work with an advisor. Among those who are not working with an advisor, an equal proportion of Americans overall (31%) and Asian Americans (32%) do not plan to do so in the future. Interestingly, unlike the general population, Asian pre-retirees and Asian retirees are advised at similar levels. However, among, the interest in working with a financial advisor is driven entirely by Asian preretirees as 99% of Asian retirees not working with an advisor do not plan to work with one. Number of Advisors Plan to Work With Advisor in Future General Population One Two More than two None 7% 6% 2% 0% 56% 26% 35% 69% No 69% Yes 31% No 68% Yes 32% How many professional financial advisors do you currently work with that advise on investments? ( n=1,605; n=199) [IF NO ADVISOR] Do you plan to work with a professional financial advisor in the future? ( n=496; n=116) 15
More than half of with advisors have been advised to change their investments as retirement approaches. Advisors suggest being more conservative. Compared to, advised Americans overall are more likely to have been advised to invest more aggressively. Advisor Recommended Changing Investment Mix While Approaching Retirement General Population Recommended Changes to Investment Mix * No 51% Yes 49% That you invest more conservatively 10% 11% That you invest somewhat more conservatively 68% 75% No 44% Yes 56% That you invest somewhat more aggressively That you invest more aggressively 20% 10% 2% 4% [IF HAS ADVISOR] Has/Did your advisor recommended/recommend changing/that you change your investment mix as you approached retirement? ( n=1,109; n=83) [IF YES] What did your advisor recommend when it came to the mix of your investments? ( n=616; n=48) *Small base size, please use caution 16
are more likely to enjoy figuring out how to invest, while Americans overall are more likely to prefer to delegate financial decisions. Asian American pre-retirees are more likely than Asian American retirees to prefer an investment option that doesn t require active management (72% vs. 42%). Asian American retirees are more likely than American retirees overall to enjoy managing their own money (80% vs. 59%). Agree/Disagree Strongly agree Somewhat agree Somewhat disagree Strongly disagree I would prefer an investment option that lets me set-it-and-forget-it 15% 9% 56% 54% 26% 30% 5% 5% I enjoy figuring out how to best invest my money 14% 15% 44% 53% 33% 24% 9% 7% I prefer to delegate financial decisions to a professional, rather than do it myself 6% 17% 39% 36% 38% 32% 16% 17% To what extent do you agree or disagree with each of the following statements? ( n=1,605; n=199) 17
Six in ten find TDFs appealing. They find actively managed mutual funds and customized investments less appealing than Americans overall. Compared to retirees overall, Asian American retirees find actively managed mutual funds (71% vs. 44%), customized investments (64% vs. 40%), and target dates funds (47% vs. 29%) less appealing. Asian American pre-retirees find customized investments (69% vs. 40%) and target date funds (68% vs. 29%) more appealing than Asian American retirees. Appealing Types of Investments Very appealing Somewhat appealing Actively managed mutual funds 16% 24% 49% 53% 65% 78% Passively managed mutual funds 21% 55% 77% 20% 60% 79% Customized investments where the money manager automatically customizes the allocation 9% 19% 53% 52% 63% 71% Target date funds (TDFs) 11% 17% 48% 47% 60% 64% How appealing do you find each of the following investment types? ( n=1,605; n=199) 18
are less likely to be very satisfied with their retirement plan overall. Satisfaction with Plan Aspects Very satisfied Somewhat satisfied The plan overall 93% 92% 92% The performance of the investments in the plan 95% The investment choices available to you 91% 91% The options available for what to do with your savings at retirement 86% 88% The education and advice available through the plan 79% 82% 51% 66% 56% 75% 51% 72% 52% 71% 50% 68% 42% 26% 36% 19% 41% 19% 34% 17% 29% 14% General Asian population Americans General Asian population Americans General Asian population Americans General Asian population Americans General Asian population Americans How satisfied are/at the time of your retirement, how satisfied were you with the following aspects of your employer s retirement plan? (General population n=1,605; n=199) 19
report the same level of familiarity with different types of investments as Americans overall. Asian American retirees are less familiar with actively managed mutual funds (67%) than retirees overall (82%) and Asian American pre-retirees (77%). Familiarity with Different Types of Investments Very familiar Somewhat familiar Not too familiar Not at all familiar Actively managed mutual funds 28% 48% 18% 5% 24% 50% 21% 4% Passively managed mutual funds 25% 46% 22% 7% 23% 47% 25% 6% Target date funds (TDFs) 22% 21% 35% 38% 28% 32% 14% 9% Customized investments where the money manager automatically customizes the allocation 12% 18% 41% 43% 34% 29% 10% 14% How familiar are you with each of the following investment types? ( n=1,605; n=199) 20
Only one in four Americans overall and are invested in a TDF. Investments in Different Funds Actively managed mutual funds 47% 44% Passively managed mutual funds 43% 50% Target date funds (TDFs) 26% 24% Customized investments where the money manager automatically customizes the allocation 25% 24% [IF PRE-RETIREE] Do you have any funds invested in any of the following? [IF RETIREE] At the time that you retired, did you have funds invested in any of the following? ( n=1,605; n=199) 21
are more likely to say they don t like TDFs because they would rather manage the money themselves. This sentiment is particularly strong among retired, of whom seven in ten (71%) prefer to manage their money themselves. Target Date Funds (TDFs) Agree/Disagree Strongly agree Somewhat agree Net: Disagree Not sure TDFs are easy to use 22% 13% 41% 54% 13% 15% 24% 18% TDFs are a good investment because I might not have the discipline or time to adjust my investments myself 13% 7% 42% 47% 24% 35% 16% 16% TDFs are a default option if employees do not pick our own investments 13% 9% 25% 33% 22% 27% 40% 31% I don t like TDFs because I would rather manage the money myself 11% 11% 29% 44% 44% 32% 16% 13% My employer encourages employees to invest in TDFs 6% 5% 19% 22% 38% 39% 38% 34% I wish TDFs were more personalized 5% 7% 37% 42% 24% 23% 34% 29% Most of the people I know at work are in TDFs 4% 3% 19% 23% 30% 36% 47% 38% [IF FAMILIAR WITH TDFs] To what extent do you agree or disagree with each of the following statements regarding Target Date Funds (TDFs)? ( n=1,378; n=183) 22
One in four Americans overall have participated in a bad plan behavior. Only one in ten Asian American pre-retirees and retirees say the same. Have you ever? NET: Bad Savings Behavior - 25% - 11% 75% 89% 15% 9% 10% 4% 6% 0% Withdrawn money to cover a big expense, like purchasing a home or tuition Taken a hardship loan, like in a financial emergency Suspended contributions (after a withdrawal or other reasons) None of these Have you ever taken any of the following actions while saving in a 401(k) or other defined contribution retirement savings plan? Please select all that apply. ( n=1,605; n=199) 23
Study Demographics
Demographics Age General Population (n=1,605) (n=199) 40-54 53% 76% 55-64 32 13 65-74 12 11 75+ 3 * Gender Male 48% 50% Female 52 50 Employment Status Employed full-time 73% 79% Employed part-time 1 4 Not employed 25 17 Education Some high school or less * -- High school graduate 9% 1% Some college/trade or technical school 29 13 College graduate (4-year degree) 40 39 Graduate or professional degree 21 47 *=<0.5% 25
Demographics Retired General Population (n=1,605) (n=199) Yes 27% 21% No 73 79 [IF PRE-RETIREE] Within how many years do you expect to retire? (n=804) (n=129) 5 years or less 20% 13% 6 to 10 years 31 44 11 to 15 years 49 43 [IF RETIREE] For how many years have you been retired? (n=801) (n=70) 5 years or less 55% 67% 6 to 10 years 25 19 11 to 15 years 20 14 *=<0.5% 26
Demographics 2017 Household Income General Population (n=1,605) (n=199) Less than $30,000 * * $30,000 to $39,999 1% * $40,000 to $49,999 2 8% $50,000 to $74,999 25 26 $75,000 to $99,999 20 12 $100,000 to $124,999 18 14 $125,000 to $149,999 12 10 $150,000 or more 23 30 Savings and Investments Less than $50,000 9% 6% $50,000 to $99,999 6 9 $100,000 to $149,999 7 9 $150,000 to $199,999 6 5 $200,000 to $249,999 8 12 $250,000 to $499,999 19 17 $500,000 to $999,999 21 16 $1 million or more 22 23 Prefer not to say 2 3 *=<0.5% 27
Demographics Hispanic, Spanish, or Latino Descent General Population (n=1,605) (n=199) Yes 5% * No 95 100% Racial/Ethnic Background White/Caucasian 89% -- African-American/Black 5 -- Asian/Indian/Pacific Islander 5 100% Other * -- [If Asian] (n=55) (n=199) Chinese 42% 66% Indian 22 26 Japanese 16 -- Vietnamese 3 -- Korean -- 8 Other 17 -- *=<0.5% 28
Demographics Sexual Orientation General Population (n=1,605) (n=199) Heterosexual or straight 93% 95% Gay 3 1 Lesbian 1 -- Bisexual 1 1 Prefer not to say 2 3 Transgender or Transsexual Yes * -- No 99% 99% Prefer not to say 1 1 Marital Status Married 75% 77% Divorced or separated 10 7 Single, never married 9 9 Not married, but living with a partner 4 5 Widowed 2 1 *=<0.5% 29
Demographics [IF MARRIED OR PARTNER] Household Decision-Making on Financial Matters You make most of the decisions with little or no input from another household member You take the lead and discuss decisions with another household member General Population (n=1,288) (n=173) 34% 41% 35 30 Decisions are made in total partnership 30 29 [IF MARRIED OR PARTNER] Spouse s/partner s Employment Status Employed full-time 61% 75% Employed part-time 7 5 Not employed 32 19 [IF MARRIED OR PARTNER] Spouse/Partner Retired Yes 36% 24% No 64 76 *=<0.5% 30
Demographics Do you currently own any of the following insurance or financial products? Please select all that apply. General Population (n=1,605) (n=199) Life insurance 69% 44% A defined retirement plan or traditional pension plan 46% 41% An annuity 24% 16% Long-term care insurance 20% 11% None of those 13% 31% Until what age do you think that you can expect to live? Before 70 1% 1% 70 to 79 5 7 80 to 85 27 23 86 to 89 4 2 90 to 95 24 10 96+ 3 4 Not sure/no way of knowing 36 53 Are you currently receiving Social Security retirement benefits? Yes 18% 10% No 81 90 Not sure * -- *=<0.5% 31
Demographics At what age (do you think you will /did you) claim your Social Security retirement benefits? General Population (n=1,605) (n=199) Before 63 16% 17% 63 to 65 22 14 66 to 69 30 19 70+ 14 14 Not eligible 1 5 Not sure 16 31 Actions Taken While Saving in a 401(k) or Other Defined Contribution Retirement Plan Withdrawn money to cover a big expense, like purchasing a home or tuition 15% 9% Taken a hardship loan, like in a financial emergency 10% 4% Suspended contributions (after a withdrawal or other reason) 6% -- None of these 75% 89% *=<0.5% 32
Demographics Nature of Occupation General Population (n=1,605) (n=199) Professional or technical 28% 52% Mid-level or lower level Manager 22 15 Senior Manager 14 11 Administrative 12 7 Other white collar 8 2 Blue collar 7 6 Executive 5 6 Service worker 2 1 Sales or retail * 1 Medical or nurse * -- Customer service * -- Business owner * -- Teacher * -- Clerical * -- Something else 1 * *=<0.5% 33
Demographics Industry General Population (n=1,605) (n=199) Manufacturing/Production 18% 11% Business and financial 15 18 Health care 10 8 Computer technology 7 22 Services industry 7 3 Engineering 4 6 Technology (other than computer) 4 5 Construction and maintenance 4 2 Legal 3 1 Agriculture 1 1 Arts and entertainment 1 1 Education 1 6 Life sciences 1 1 Physical sciences * 1 Social services * -- Architecture * -- Mathematical or statistical * -- Other 23 15 *=<0.5% 34
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