Dave Ramsey: Almost 50% of Americans are making 1 massive Social Security blunder. How to fix it in 2026

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With implicit 30 years of fielding listener calls and cultivating a devoted audience, Dave Ramsey has go 1 of the uncommon experts genuinely successful tune with the nation’s fiscal heartbeat. His company's surveys and reports present unsocial insights into however Americans earn, prevention and walk their money.

Ramsey’s 2023 "Today's Retirement Crisis" survey (1) based connected a 2016 survey (2) highlights a astonishing statistic — 42% of Americans are not presently redeeming for the future. This is besides reflected successful the Fed's 2022 Survey of Consumer Finances, which shows that lone 54.4% of families had status accounts (3).

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"Even among savers, fewer are mounting speech capable to spend a genuinely unafraid retirement. In fact, lone 1 successful 10 Americans prevention 15% oregon much of their income — the magnitude manufacture experts urge individuals acceptable speech successful bid to physique capable savings — for retirement," according to the Ramsey Solutions study.

This “alarming” accusation could bespeak that galore radical are facing dire status prospects.

“Instead of packing their bags for their imagination vacations successful their 60s and 70s, millions of Americans volition beryllium packing their luncheon for different time astatine the office,” Ramsey’s squad wrote successful a March 2025 update connected mean status savings successful the United States (4).

Nearly 60% of retired Americans accidental Social Security is simply a “major source” of their status income, according to Gallup (5).

But these benefits are designed to regenerate conscionable 40% of pre-retirement income. The estimated mean monthly Social Security status payment for August 2025 was $2,008 (6), which translates to an yearly income of conscionable implicit $24,000 — overmuch little than what a comfy status would usually require.

What’s more, caller moves by the Trump medication person raised concerns astir the aboriginal of Social Security payments. About 59% of non-retired Americans are disquieted that Social Security won’t beryllium disposable by the clip they retire, according to a survey from DepositAccounts (7).

Here are 3 steps you tin instrumentality to commencement stitching unneurotic a information nett that tin support your aureate years.