F&G survey finds 51% of pre-retirees plan to semi-retire

F&G's fourth annual Retirement Reconsidered survey, released Oct. 15, 2026, found 51 percent of pre-retirees plan to semi-retire rather than stop working entirely. Only 21 percent associate retirement with stopping work completely, 60 percent describe the transition as gradual rather than a single milestone, and 53 percent say the journey is becoming more flexible.

Seventy-five percent of pre-retirees have considered or are actively delaying their retirement date, up from 70 percent in 2025. A separate question found 51 percent expect to retire later than originally planned, up from 45 percent. Among respondents who are delaying, 52 percent cite fear of insufficient savings, up from 48 percent the prior year.

Censuswide fielded the survey between Aug. 4 and Aug. 31, 2026, among 2,001 U.S. adults aged 50 and older who are primary or shared household financial decision-makers with at least $100,000 in investable assets. InvestmentNews notes the flexibility is partly involuntary: the share of pre-retirees citing insufficient savings as a reason for delay rose year over year, even as the share planning to work longer also rose.

“Americans, no matter their savings or income bracket, aren't simply reconsidering when they retire; they're reconsidering what retirement itself looks like,” Conor Murphy, CEO and president of F&G, said. For some, that means working less or transitioning gradually; for others, he said, “original plans are giving way to financial realities.”

A client who works part-time for five to eight years after a primary career has different cash flow, tax and Social Security timing needs than one who leaves the workforce cleanly at 65, according to InvestmentNews. Guaranteed income can bridge the years before a delayed Social Security claim begins, and payout start dates have to be set against a retirement with no single start, the publication adds. It also reports that many pre-retirees want to discuss detailed income distribution planning with an advisor.

Social Security uncertainty tops the list of factors influencing retirement planning for Americans 50 and older, cited by 46 percent of respondents. Healthcare and long-term care costs follow at 43 percent, and Medicare availability concerns 31 percent. The Social Security Board of Trustees' 2026 annual report projects the program's trust funds will run short of money by 2034, a date that falls inside the planning horizon for anyone weighing a later claim.

This publication reported Oct. 13 on Guardian's Retirement Redefined research, which found 34 percent of respondents plan for income to begin at 80 or older.