Retirement targets jump 20% as life stages overlap, HSBC survey finds
Affluent individuals believe they need 20% more money to retire than they did a year ago, according to HSBC research.
Our survey of nearly 10,000 affluent and high-net-worth investors across 10 markets found that the perceived cost of retirement is now $1.26 million – but respondents have saved just 49% of their goal on average*.
The research suggests that overlapping ambitions and responsibilities mean affluent individuals now need to fund multiple life stages at once. Nearly three-quarters (71%) are planning for a non-linear future.
“The idea that life unfolds one stage at a time no longer matches reality,” said Lavanya Chari, Head of Wealth and Premier Solutions, International Wealth and Premier Banking, HSBC.
“Retirement and legacy are moving into the middle of life, alongside caring responsibilities, financial commitments and ambitions such as a career change or pursuing a life goal.
“This is shaping the future of wealth: people need plans that move with them, preserve choice and give them the confidence to pursue several ambitions at once.”
For millennials and gen X, the squeeze is especially acute. These generations are managing three priorities on average, often while supporting children and ageing parents, the survey found.
The shift is creating demand for wealth planning that can evolve alongside people’s ambitions and responsibilities.
More than four in five respondents (82%) said they want wealth solutions that flex across multiple needs, and 75% seek expert support for a non-linear life.
For 91% of respondents, longer life expectancy is influencing decisions about what they spend now, give during their lifetime and leave behind.
Future healthcare (37%), lifestyle (30%) and experiences (29%) are emerging as leading financial priorities.
Dr Dacher Keltner**, Professor of Psychology at University of California, Berkley, said HSBC’s global survey “signals a new model of adulthood” and that milestones will continue to shift and overlap over the next decade.
“What seems unconventional today – multiple careers, extended families and later-life reinvention – could soon become mainstream,” he added.
Explore more findings from our global survey in our media release
*Source: HSBC Global Affluent Report 2026 research among 9,993 affluent and high-net-worth investors across 10 markets. Information only. Not investment advice. Capital at risk.
**Commissioned by HSBC. Views are Dacher Keltner’s own and not financial advice.