Retirement Confidence in 2026: Rising Costs, Debt, and Declining Confidence

Value of the Information & Strength of the Argument

The webinar provides valuable, up-to-date data on retirement confidence and related financial behaviors, based on a rigorous, long-running survey. The argumentation is solid, grounded in survey statistics and supplemented by industry research. The panelists effectively connect the data to practical implications for plan sponsors and advisors, offering actionable insights. However, the presentation is primarily descriptive, with limited critical evaluation of the survey’s limitations or potential biases.

Scientific Rigor, Source Quality, Title Accuracy

The webinar is scientifically rigorous, presenting findings from a well-established survey with transparent methodology. The sources are credible: EBRI and Greenwald Research are reputable organizations. The title accurately reflects the content, focusing on declining confidence due to rising costs and debt. The presentation is well-structured and the panelists are knowledgeable. No external sources are cited beyond the survey itself, but the internal consistency and expertise lend credibility.

The title accurately reflects the content, focusing on declining retirement confidence due to rising costs and debt.

8/10

The webinar presents findings from the 2026 Retirement Confidence Survey, a long-running, nationally representative survey conducted by EBRI and Greenwald Research. The methodology is described (sample sizes, weighting), and the panelists are experts from reputable organizations. However, the presentation is largely descriptive without deep critical analysis or external verification of the data.

Markers derived by PSI from the transcript: the creator did not define chapters.

• 02:00Introduction and overview of the 2026 Retirement Confidence Survey methodology.
• 05:00Presentation of overall retirement confidence decline among workers.
• 10:00Discussion of factors impacting confidence: inflation, cost of living, debt, and health concerns.
• 15:00Analysis of workplace savings plan participation and the 'participant illusion'.
• 20:00Principal's research on non-participants and strategies to increase enrollment.
• 25:00Discussion of advice-seeking behavior and sources of financial information.
• 30:00Panel discussion on the role of human advice versus technology in retirement planning.
• 35:00Q&A session with audience questions.

• 2026 Retirement Confidence Survey — The survey is the primary source of data discussed throughout the webinar.
• Principal Financial Group Research on Participant Illusion — Daniella Moiseyev presents findings from Principal's internal study on non-participants.

• EBRI Retirement Confidence Survey — The survey itself is the primary source, and its findings are consistent with previous years' trends.