Survey Reveals Retirement Fears Outweigh Halloween Horrors for Most Americans

A new survey from financial confidence company Boldin reveals that retirement uncertainties generate more fear than traditional Halloween horrors for most Americans. The study found that 66% of financially savvy respondents said their retirement fears felt scarier than walking alone in the woods on a dark Halloween night before they established a written financial plan.

The online poll, conducted on October 10, 2025, surveyed 1,053 Boldin users and achieved a 95% response rate. The data shows retirement worries were pervasive among respondents before planning, with 67% reporting regular anxiety about their financial future. More than a quarter (27%) said retirement fears weighed on them quite a bit, while 40% were somewhat worried and 26% were a little concerned. Only 3% reported no retirement anxiety.

Running out of money emerged as the dominant fear, with 39% of respondents citing outliving savings as their greatest concern before creating a retirement plan. Other significant worries included not being able to afford their desired lifestyle in retirement (19%) and uncertainty about preparing for future unknowns like market volatility and inflation (17%).

The survey demonstrates a dramatic transformation in financial confidence once respondents implemented written retirement plans. An overwhelming 96% reported increased confidence about their future, with 68% feeling much more confident and 28% somewhat more confident. Only 3% said having a plan didn't change their outlook. When asked about their current retirement feelings, 46% described themselves as confident, 49% as somewhat confident, and only 4% as anxious. Notably, no Boldin users reported outright fear about their financial future after planning.

Steve Chen, Founder and CEO of Boldin, emphasized the importance of financial planning, stating that when people build their financial know-how, they gain the clarity to make more informed decisions. The company's mission focuses on making financial planning accessible and affordable through tools available at Boldin.com so anyone can put their fears to rest and retire with confidence.

Boldin users reported specific proactive steps that increased their retirement security, including running what-if and contingency scenarios (66%) and establishing guaranteed income streams such as pensions, Social Security, or annuities (43%). Other confidence-building measures included becoming debt-free (36%), saving and investing consistently (34%), and seeking professional financial guidance (26%).

While financial concerns dominated retirement anxieties, health-related worries persisted among respondents. More than half (57%) identified financial challenges including healthcare costs and loss of financial control as their greatest source of anxiety, while 43% were more fearful of non-financial struggles such as declining health, loss of purpose, or social isolation.

The survey population consisted of financially savvy Americans defined as people creating and managing their own financial plans using Boldin's retirement planning software. To date, more than 350,000 individuals on Boldin are managing their own plans with over $300 billion in assets, and Boldin users report 94% more in retirement savings than the national average according to an internal survey conducted in June 2023.