Financial Security
Tracking 9 benchmarks of financial well being — from investments, home ownership, and retirement savings — across American adults, 2000 to 2022.
The Sightlines Project
CROSS-CUTTING FINDING

A midlife squeeze: today’s middle-aged adults are worse off than past generations at the same age — a trend unique to this age group.

Across Emergency Funds, Retirement Savings, and Poverty Risk, Americans ages 45-54 and 55-64 are the only groups moving in the wrong direction — while every other age bracket, from 25-34 through 75+, improved on the same measures over the same period.

EXPLORE THE BENCHMARKS

● Insurance coverage

3 of 9 benchmarks

Health Insurance
89.7% — 1%
health insurance coverage
Life Insurance
57.1% ↓ 14%
have life insurance
Long Term Disability/Care Insurance
26.6% ↓ 12%
have LTC or disability insurance

● Financial strain

2 of 9 benchmarks

Chronic Debt
55.0% ↑ 11%
currently smoking
Poverty Risk
25.4% ↓ 8%
at risk of poverty

● Financial assets

4 of 9 benchmarks

Home ownership
62.5% ↓ 9%
own their home
Investments
69.4% ↓ 4%
hold an investment account
Emergency Funds
72.8% ↑ 4%
have accessible emergency savings
Retirements Savings
55.9% ↑ 5%
have retirement savings