Every Day, 11,000 Americans Turn 65.

Most employers are still measuring readiness by participation and balances. That's not the same question as whether people can actually retire.

Why This Is a Workforce Issue, Not a Benefits Line Item

The Cost of Getting It Wrong

A single employee retiring later than planned costs an organization roughly $103,000 a year (Principal)

Each one-year rise in average retirement age adds 1–1.5% to total workforce cost (Prudential)

1 in 4 employees now expect to work past the age they planned to retire

Delayed retirements stall promotion paths and slow knowledge transfer, contributing to why 34% of employees without a clear advancement path are actively job-searching

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Retirement Readiness: The New Standard for Workforce Wellbeing

For years, employers have measured retirement readiness using participation rates, contribution levels, and account balances. None of those answer the only question that matters: can this person actually retire?

Watch a candid conversation with Sean Goheen and Jennifer Peinert on what true readiness means, and why it's become a workforce issue, not just a benefits one.

Retirement Confidence Is Slipping, and the Cost Is Real

Worker retirement confidence fell from 67% to 61% in the past year. Nearly a quarter of workers changed their target retirement age in the last year alone, and most pushed it later. Only 21% of defined contribution plan participants say they're very knowledgeable about turning savings into retirement income.

This isn't just an employee problem. Financial stress costs employers $1.1 trillion in lost productivity every year. That's not a line in the benefits budget. It's a business problem hiding in plain sight.

Read the full breakdown

Redefining Readiness: The Four Pillars

Readiness Isn't a Number. It's Wealth, Health, Purpose, and Legacy.
A balance on a statement tells an employee what they have. It doesn't tell them whether that turns into the life they want.

Wealth

Income sufficiency, savings trajectory, and debt, not just accumulation, but the decumulation planning most people never learn

Health

Healthcare costs and longevity risk that can undo an otherwise strong balance

Purpose

For most people, work is tied to identity. Retirement can feel like a loss before it feels like freedom

Legacy

Estate readiness, family impact, and long-term continuity

How BrightPlan Helps;
Guidance That Adapts, at Every Career Stage

Saving and spending down assets require completely different mindsets, and most people are never taught the second one. BrightPlan helps employees move from a vague sense of "I should save more" to a clear, ongoing plan, across accumulation and the decumulation decisions most retirement tools ignore.