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36% Of Americans Haven't Saved Anything For Retirement

By Jim Donovan

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Over a third of all Americans (36%) have not saved any money for retirement, according to a new Bankrate.com (NYSE: RATE) report. Sixty-nine percent of 18-29 year-olds haven't saved anything, along with 33% of 30-49 year-olds, 26% of 50-64 year-olds and 14% of people 65 and older.

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I would like to take this opportunity to thank my dear mother for insisting that I start putting away money as soon as I got my first job out of college. It certainly has added up over 25+ years and indeed mother knows best.

The good news is that Americans who are saving are starting earlier. Twice as many 30-49 year-olds started saving in their 20s as opposed to their 30s. But 50-64 year-olds were only slightly more likely to have started saving in their 20s than their 30s, and Americans 65 and older were almost evenly split between starting in their 20s, 30s and 40s.

"Regardless of age, there is no better time than the present to start saving for retirement," says Bankrate.com chief financial analyst Greg McBride, CFA. "The key to a successful retirement is to save early and aggressively, but even those on the cusp of their golden years should have some money allocated toward equities as opposed to all cash and bonds."

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• Despite their lack of retirement savings, Millennials feel more financially secure than any other age group. They feel more secure in their jobs and more optimistic about their current financial situation than any other age group.

• Job security, net worth and overall financial situation are all areas in which Americans note improvement over one year ago.

• However, there are twice as many Americans less comfortable with their savings (compared to one year ago) as those that are more comfortable.

• Men's feelings of financial security slipped, while women noted improved financial security since last month. However, men still note improved financial security compared to one year ago while women still feel a slight deterioration.

The survey was conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates International (PSRAI) and can be seen in its entirety here:

http://www.bankrate.com/finance/consumer-index/financial-security-charts-0814.aspx

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