For many U.S. adults, the idea of thinking about having enough money for retirement may be more exciting than it is scary, according to analysts at Lincoln Financial Group.

The opposite appears to be true of thinking about unexpected medical bills.

Lincoln has included data on how consumers feel about different types of financial planning in a new survey report. The Radnor, Pennsylvania-based company based the report on results from an online survey of 2,500 U.S. adults ages 18 and older.

Methods

Lincoln asked consumers, “When thinking about your financial future, what most excites you?”

The company also asked, “When thinking about your financial future, what most scares you?”

The list of exciting situations was different from the list of scary situations, but there was some overlap. Lincoln put thinking about “having enough retirement money” and “affording health care costs” on the exciting list. The company put “saving for retirement and “unforeseen health expenses” on the scary list.

Consumers could choose several “most excites” and “most scares” options when they took the survey.

The Exciting List

The survey participants told Lincoln that they think the idea of planning for having enough retirement money is about as exciting as thinking about paying for travel, and more exciting than thinking about many other financial topics.

Retirement money thinking tied with travel money thinking for first place in the “excites” rankings.

Piggy bank in a belt (Image: Jeffrey Collingwood/Thinkstock)

(Image: Jeffrey Collingwood/Thinkstock)

About 46% of the participants said the idea of thinking about retirement money excites them, and 46% said the idea of thinking about travel money excites them. Those two planning topics beat out thinking about buying a house or making more money at work, buy a car. Only 19% said thinking about buying a house excites them.

Survey participants younger than 30, or ages 75 and older, were the only ones who were more excited about the idea of thinking about travel money than about retirement money. Participants in every other age group said they were more excited about thinking about retirement money.

Health care cost planning ranked in the middle in terms of excitement: 32% of the survey participants said thinking about health care costs is exciting.

The Scary List

Thinking about affording health care costs ranked first on the list of scariest financial situations: 46% of the participants listed that as a top fear.

“Saving for retirement” ranked second, with 35% of the participants identifying that situation as scary.

The Exciting-to-Scary Ratios

The Lincoln survey attracted 1.3 participants who said thinking about retirement money is exciting for every participant who said thinking about that topic is scary.

The survey attracted 1.4 participants who said thinking about unexpected medical bills is scary for every participant who said thinking about affording health care is exciting.

Instant Insights /

Retirement Planning Is Exciting: Consumers

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