Personal Finance

And the Number 1 cause of stress is ... money

Key Points
  • Money is many Americans' top worry, ranking higher than health, family and work, according to a recent report from BlackRock.
  • But there is a cure. "Focusing on retirement planning helps alleviate stress and improves your overall well-being today," BlackRock President Robert Kapito says.
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If you can't sleep at night, chances are it's because of cash woes.

Money is many Americans' top worry, ranking higher than health, family and work, according to BlackRock's annual Global Investor Pulse survey.

But there can be some relief, BlackRock found. Those who are saving for a retirement feel better overall than those without a retirement savings plan, the study said.

"For too many people, investing and retirement planning are all about an intangible future," BlackRock President Robert Kapito said in a statement.

"But what we found is that there are immediate benefits for those who start early," he added. "Much as physical exercise has both short- and long-term benefits, focusing on retirement planning helps alleviate stress and improves your overall well-being today."

Retirement reset
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Tips to save enough for retirement

Millennials worried about their finances more than any other age group, according to BlackRock. Fifty-eight percent of people ages 18 to 34 said they are too focused on their current financial situation to save for their future, according to the study.

Fifty-six percent overall said they have started to save for their golden years, but only 45 percent feel confident they'll achieve their retirement dreams.

The majority of those polled said their current cost of living was the greatest obstacle standing in the way of planning, followed by health-care costs and rising prices.

In fact, more than — 57 percent — have less than $1,000 in their savings accounts, according to a separate GOBankingRates survey.

Another report by the Stanford Center on Longevity found that nearly one-third of baby boomers had no money saved in retirement plans in 2014, when they were on average 58 years old.

Among boomers with positive balances, the median savings was around $200,000.

Experts have said people may need a nest egg of more than $1 million to carry them through a 30-year retirement.

And even that may not be enough. The Stanford Center advises aiming to save 10 percent to 17 percent of your income if you plan to retire at 65 — about double what most people are actually socking away.

BlackRock polled 27,000 people worldwide, including more than 4,000 in the U.S.

More from Personal Finance:
Most Americans don't save nearly enough for retirement
Here's how to overcome poor retirement planning
Forget saving more, try working longer

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