Most families—even those approaching retirement—have little or no retirement savings: Median retirement account savings of families by age, 1989–2016 (2016 dollars)
| 32–37 | 38–43 | 44–49 | 50–55 | 56–61 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | $0 | $560 | $0 | $1,866 | $1,866 |
| 1992 | $0 | $839 | $839 | $2,348 | $1,057 |
| 1995 | $392 | $2,506 | $3,915 | $7,830 | $5,011 |
| 1998 | $2,213 | $7,377 | $9,295 | $8,558 | $13,279 |
| 2001 | $1,355 | $6,774 | $13,007 | $14,903 | $16,258 |
| 2004 | $1,272 | $3,815 | $9,666 | $12,718 | $22,256 |
| 2007 | $1,158 | $6,137 | $15,633 | $27,213 | $37,056 |
| 2010 | $298 | $1,990 | $10,501 | $14,369 | $7,848 |
| 2013 | $495 | $4,331 | $6,393 | $8,249 | $17,529 |
| 2016 | $1,000 | $5,000 | $13,000 | $11,000 | $21,000 |
Note: Scale changed for visibility. Retirement account savings include funds in 401(k)-style defined contribution plans and in IRAs.
Source: EPI analysis of Survey of Consumer Finance data, 2016.