Most People Wish They Had Saved More For Retirement

For all the talk of beating the market, avoiding fees, and optimal asset allocations, the most important thing that people can do to get ready for retirement (or any other major life expense) is to start saving early. Compounding takes time to work its magic, even if you get all the other details right. But according to an American Century Investments survey of defined contribution plan participants titled Reflections in the Mirror most people currently working don’t feel like they’ve done enough.

“Plan participants acknowledge the importance of saving along with the potential consequences of not doing so. However, they also recognize their own tendencies and habits. Daily life gets in the way of saving for the future,” says...