Merrill Edge® Report

Merrill Edge Report: Spring 2016
Our nationwide survey, delivered semi-annually, takes an in-depth, statistical look at the financial concerns and priorities of mass affluent Americans.1
Spring Merrill Edge Report Aron Levine, head of Merrill Edge at Bank of America, explains the latest results from the Merrill Edge survey about savings and retirement funds. Click to play Merrill Edge Report: Spring 2016 video with Aron Levine, head of Merrill Edge

Statistics from the Merrill Edge Report

41%
of millennials expect to retire when they hit a financial milestone

Millennials'
perspectives

Millennials' perspectives on their later years and how to get there hint at a possible redefining of retirement.
48%
of Americans are most insecure about some aspect of their finances

Savings
shortcomings

Americans feel they could be more proactive about their retirement.
30%
of retirees spent more money in retirement than they anticipated

Retiree
realities

Today's retirees are experiencing a different retirement than non-retirees are envisioning.
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Read the Merrill Edge Report: Spring
2016
for insights on the mass affluent
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1 Methodology
Braun Research, Inc. conducted a nationally representative telephone survey on behalf of Merrill Edge. The survey was conducted from February 12, 2016, through March 1, 2016, and consisted of 1,003 mass affluent respondents throughout the U.S., defined as individuals with investable assets (value of all cash, savings, mutual funds, CDs, IRAs, stock, bonds and all other types of investments excluding primary home and other real estate investments). Respondents in the study were defined as aged 18 to 34 (millennials) with investable assets between $50,000 to $250,000 or those aged 18 to 34 who have investable assets of between $20,000 and under $50,000 with an annual income of at least $50,000; or aged 35-plus with investable assets between $50,000 to $250,000. We conducted an oversampling of 300 mass affluents in the following markets: San Francisco; Los Angeles; Orange County, California; Dallas; New Jersey; South Florida; Chicago; Atlanta; and Phoenix. The margin of error is ± 3.0% for the national sample and about ± 5.7%for the oversample markets, all reported at a 95% confidence level.
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Share:
It's refreshing to see the mindset around retirement evolve, particularly a strong optimism and a goal-oriented approach from younger generations. This focus is a great start, but the key to a successful retirement is to ensure savings are prioritized early and often. Year over year, we continue to see today's non-retirees struggle with the impact short-term spending has on their long-term financial future."
Aron Levine,
Head of Merrill Edge
Useful links & resources
Reporters may contact:
Kristen Georgian
Bank of America
617.434.0234 | Email