For a growing number of Americans, retirement accounts are doing double duty as savings accounts for the future and emergency funds for the here and now. Vanguard Group says that 2023 saw early withdrawals from a record 3.6 percent of the 5 million accounts it administers, up from 2.8 percent in 2022. Roben Farzad, host of NPR’s "Full Disclosure" podcast, joins John Yang to discuss.
Wait, you guys have retirement accounts?
Wait, you guys think we’re going to have a civilization left to retire in?
That’s why I don’t mind pulling from mine.
By the time I’m “able” to retire, society will likely have either crumbled entirely or we might have passed onto a stage where we ensure that everyone has their basic needs met. Either way, this money isn’t going to help all that much. 🤷♀️
Ya, pretty much.
Wait, you guys think that money is safe?
Most people do. Half of millennials have funded retirement accounts and significantly more of Gen X and Baby Boomers do.