Annuities

Thought leadership

Guiding Gen X: The need for guaranteed income in retirement

Discover how Gen X approaches retirement planning, transitioning from save and invest to decumulation, and how financial professionals can guide them.

Gen Xers trust experience — and they're also highly pragmatic, DIY types. Our recent study, Approaching Retirement: Getting Gen X from Good to Great, found that 77% of Gen Xers trust the recommendations of financial professionals — even though, so far, less than half of them have worked with one to create a financial plan.1

This group is entering some of the most critical years of their financial lives — this is when they’re likely to be at peak earning levels, but they also need to fine-tune their retirement planning efforts, helping kids with college costs and other upcoming financial milestones.

Here are a few of the key insights from the study to help you understand what motivates Gen X and the opportunities for guaranteed income guidance they’ll need as retirement approaches. Discover our white paper.

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Help them build on their success

Gen X has largely taken a DIY approach to their financial planning — but don’t mistake that for having neglected it. Most of them have been actively saving and investing. What they mostly haven’t done is avail themselves of financial professionals to do so.

40% of Gen Xers don’t have a written financial plan. Of those who do, only about 40% worked with a financial professional to create it.1

Even informed, experienced, self-directed investors need help when it comes to protecting their portfolio and securing guaranteed lifetime income while also finding ways to preserve assets for their loved ones.

Woman with laptop

Remember what shaped Gen X’s investing perspective

The modern retirement landscape took shape as Gen X came of age. They are, in essence, its test case.

They’ve already navigated market movements, economic crises large and small, and fundamental changes to retirement itself. That’s created a well-earned sense of confidence.

78% of Gen X say they feel confident in their investment decisions and are actively saving and investing.1

They’ve learned to be disciplined savers, to ride out volatility and make smart asset allocations. Still, they could benefit from a financial professional’s guidance to help make the shift from investing to generating income, preserving the assets they’ve built, putting together a retirement withdrawal strategy and working to avoid running out of money in retirement.

Couple reviewing book

Bridge the anticipated income gap

Social Security presents a complex picture to Gen X. As a group, they have less confidence in Social Security, and many of them hope to retire before they reach the full retirement age to claim benefits.

Because relatively few have pensions to count on, they’ll need a plan to fund their retirement planning efforts with income from their portfolios.2

More than 75% of Gen Xers expect personal savings and/or workplace retirement accounts to support their retirement lifestyle.1

Shifting their investments into a portfolio that provides guaranteed income is vital to plugging the expected income gap.

Couple discussing with woman

Build relationships through personalized financial planning

Gen Xers appreciate financial professionals who understand who, and what, matters most to them. Plus, they want someone who can help them align their financial planning strategies with their long-term needs.

77% trust advisor recommendations and decisions.1

With 75% indicating openness to a planning strategy that integrates guaranteed income solutions into their portfolios, you can help turn their good results into great ones.1

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Learn about Gen X’s financial planning needs and goals in the full white paper.

Download the whitepaper

1 Approaching Retirement: Getting Gen X From Good to Great, WSJ Intelligence and Equitable Thought Leadership Study, August 2025.

2 A Case for Income, Equitable, September 2025.

Equitable is the brand name of Equitable Holdings, Inc. and its family of companies, including Equitable Financial Life Insurance Company (1345 Avenue of the Americas, NY, NY); Equitable Financial Life Insurance Company of America, an AZ stock company with an administrative office located in Charlotte, NC; Equitable Advisors, LLC (member FINRA, SIPC) (Equitable Financial Advisors in MI & TN); and Equitable Distributors, LLC. This informational and educational content does not offer or constitute insurance, investment, legal, tax or general financial advice. Your unique needs, goals and circumstances require and deserve the individualized attention of your own financial, legal, tax and other professionals. Equitable Financial Life Insurance Company and its affiliates do not provide tax, legal advice or services.

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INVESTMENT AND INSURANCE PRODUCTS ARE: · NOT FDIC INSURED · NOT INSURED BY ANY FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AGENCY · NOT A DEPOSIT OR OTHER OBLIGATION OF, OR GUARANTEED BY, THE BANK OR ANY OF ITS AFFILIATES · SUBJECT TO INVESTMENT RISKS, INCLUDING POSSIBLE LOSS OF THE PRINCIPAL AMOUNT INVESTED.

This material is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice or a recommendation.

©2026 Equitable Holdings, Inc. All rights reserved.

GE-8759860.1 (02/2026) (Exp. 02/2030)