Pontera Study: Retirement Savers Lack Confidence, Control Over Investments

Fewer than 1 in 5 Americans feel highly knowledgeable and confident managing their retirement and college savings accounts — leaving most without meaningful control over their financial future.

NEW YORK, Sept. 25, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Pontera, the fintech company helping retirement savers receive professional 401(k) account management from their financial advisor, today released new research examining how Americans are saving for retirement. The study found two-thirds of retirement savers don't feel like they have control over critical decisions in their workplace retirement plans, including complex rules, multiple account types, and uncertainty about their savings strategy.

The study analyzed responses from 1,000 U.S. retirement savers and 400 registered financial advisors and explored how various challenges — an inflationary environment, volatility, investment complexity — have impacted retirement savers as they plan for their futures. It also uncovered key differences between savers who sought/utilized professional advice from an advisor or wealth manager and those who chose to navigate retirement on their own. Notably, savers with an advisor are more than 2x as likely to have over $250,000 in retirement savings than those without.

Key findings include:

• The rising cost of living and inflation are the #1 concerns across all generations of Americans.
• Nearly 1 in 4 retirement savers have less than $25,000 across retirement and college savings accounts.
• Less than half (42%) of retirement savers have over $100,000 in savings.

"For many Americans, retirement remains a quandary; the Federal Reserve has reported that nearly half of U.S. households have inadequate retirement savings, and seventy percent of Americans believe their financial planning needs improvement," said Yoav Zurel, CEO at Pontera. "When people struggle to feel confident and in control of their retirement accounts, it creates a real need for clarity and more guidance — particularly from professionals who are equipped to advise, guide, and holistically plan on an individual by individual basis."

Rising costs of living and inflation were biggest concerns across all generations of U.S. savers, followed closely by market volatility and economic uncertainty. This uncertain economic environment caused a number of savers to rethink how they are approaching their investments.

The majority of savers say they have made changes to their retirement investments in the past year due to market uncertainty. Notably, nearly a quarter of savers have either reduced or paused contributions or stopped checking these accounts to avoid stress.

These findings highlight the gap between savers' intentions and their confidence, underscoring the critical role advisors can play in helping clients navigate complexity and make informed retirement decisions.

Confidence Remains Out of Reach for Many Savers

Fewer than 1 in 5 Americans feels highly knowledgeable and confident about managing their retirement and college savings accounts, emphasizing just how overwhelming the system feels. What may seem straightforward to an advisor is often experienced by savers as confusing, restrictive, or difficult to navigate — creating clear opportunities for advisors to step in and provide clarity, confidence, and direction.

The survey revealed several additional findings pointing to the need for additional guidance:

• Forty-two percent of savers report that managing their accounts makes them feel stressed, anxious, cautious or confused.
• Seventy-six percent of advisors surveyed reported that their clients have expressed frustration with workplace retirement and savings accounts in the past year.
• More than half of women with advisors (55%) report at least $100,000 saved — nearly double the share of women without advisors (29%)

These challenges are magnified when savings are spread across multiple accounts, leaving savers without a clear picture of their financial future. Advisors who can integrate held-away workplace retirement accounts into the broader portfolio are well-positioned to bridge this gap.

Held Away Account Services Benefit Both Advisors and Savers

The study's findings emphasize the value of fiduciary advice in alleviating some of these challenges. Savers value the counsel of financial advisors: 19% of all retirement decisions are shaped by financial advisors, more than any other professional source. Moreover, 83% of savers working with an advisor report feeling a strong sense of control over their investment decisions, underscoring the value of professional guidance.

Despite this, many are not leveraging their financial advisors when it comes to held away retirement or college savings. The study shows that U.S. retirement savers are more likely to stick with an employer's default set up than work with a financial advisor, even though savers who do work with a financial advisor are three times more likely to feel confident or in control than those who use default investment options.

"Held away retirement accounts are the biggest pool of assets for most savers, yet individuals are often unable to receive advice on how to incorporate these accounts into their holistic financial plan," said Zurel. "It is vital that savers have access to an expert who can simplify complex investment options for them and help create a cohesive strategy for managing their savings accounts as part of their holistic financial plan."

Offering these services is also beneficial to financial advisors. A large majority (91%) of financial advisors reported that offering held-away account services increased demand for their advisory services. 

The full survey findings can be found in this report on Pontera's website here.

Survey Methodology

For Retirement Savers: A 20-question survey was administered to 1,000 U.S. retirement savers over the period of July 23 – August 1, 2025.

For Financial Advisors: A 19-question survey was administered to 400 U.S. financial advisors over the period of July 21 – August 1, 2025.

About Pontera
Pontera is a fintech company on a mission to help millions of Americans retire better by enabling financial advisors to manage, balance, and report on clients' assets in 401(k)s, 403(b)s, and other workplace-sponsored accounts. Our secure, purpose-built platform, seamlessly integrated with advisors' portfolio management tools, is designed to work across many account types and help advisors improve financial outcomes through more comprehensive investment management. Founded in 2012, Pontera is headquartered in New York City. Learn more at pontera.com.

Media Contact:
Christian Gubler
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SOURCE Pontera