2026 BlackRock Read on Retirement Survey Insights

The document is a technical report detailing the findings of the 2026 BlackRock Read on Retirement® survey, which presents insights from 11 years of annual research focused on workplace savers and retirees in the U.S. Conducted by Escalent, the survey captures the experiences of individuals engaged in the workplace retirement system. It includes responses from 1,312 workplace savers, who are full-time employees with at least $5,000 in their 401(k) or 403(b) accounts, and 300 retirees, each retired for at least 10 years. The report identifies key themes such as the disparity between retirement savings confidence and preparedness, the changing landscape of retirement needs across generations, and the emerging role of AI in retirement planning. It highlights the challenges savers face in balancing financial priorities while navigating retirement planning, as well as the evolving capabilities that both participants and plan sponsors are adopting to address these gaps.