Theres a Generational Shift Underway With Financial Concerns

Most people are not immune to the worries of the wallet—big and small. From paying for monthly bills all the way to paying for long-term care and everything in between, people from Gen Z to Boomers told us what they are concerned about financially.

Turns out, saving retirement is a key financial worry, with 44% of Americans expressing concern, according to the 2024 Insurance Barometer Study, from Life Happens and LIMRA. This has been true for every year since the study began in 2011.

It’s Millennials’ Turn While there hasn’t been a major change retirement concern, what has shifted is who is worrying the most about a range of financial issues. This year, Millennials expressed the highest level of financial concern on nine of the 15 specific financial matters we asked them about. Just two years ago, Gen X was the most concerned on 14 of the 15. A generational shift is clearly underway.

If we take a look at the key financial concerns across all generations, we see the gap between these two generations:

Millennials vs Gen X

Having enough money for retirement:                                                       54% vs 48%

saving for an emergency fund:                                                                   45% vs 38%

supporting myself if I couldn’t work due to a disabling illness/injury:   45% vs 39%

paying for long-term care if I couldn’t care for myself:                            40% vs 37%

paying for medical expenses in case of an illness/injury:                        40% vs 34%

And yet, one of the things that can bring them financial peace of mind—life insurance—is something that fewer Millennials own (50%) than their older Gen X counterparts (55%). So why don’t Millennials have coverage? Well, 42% say it’s too expensive, but 46% overestimate the true cost by 5 times or more. And it’s not surprising they were so far off with on price, as almost half (47%) admit they used a wild guess or used a gut feeling to estimate the cost.

There’s Coverage for That Additionally, some of their other concerns can be addressed by other types of insurance coverage. For example, disability insurance is there if you are unable to work due to a disabling illness or injury (a concern for 45% of Millennials), but only 19% of Millennials say they own it, and only 20% say they are very/extremely knowledgeable about.

And this year’s Barometer Study also looked at combination products, specifically life insurance combined with long-term care. This type of coverage could allay concerns that Millennials have about both leaving their family in the lurch financially if they died (38%) and paying for long term care (40%).

An easy solution is to explore info on these products: life insurance, disability insurance and long-term care, and then talk to an insurance professional who can help you find a solution in your budget. Plus, that conversation is at no cost and no obligation. If you don’t have an someone to work with, you can use our Agent Locator here.

Maggie Leyes is Chief Creative Officer for Life Happens. She has been working in the insurance and financial services industry for more than 15 years.

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