Significant Retirement Savings Gap Revealed
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Jun 27 2026
0mins
Source: Yahoo Finance
- Retirement Target Setting: Charles Schwab has set the 2025 retirement target at $1.6 million, yet the median savings for those aged 55 to 64 is only $205,341, which is roughly one-eighth of that target, highlighting a significant shortfall in retirement preparedness among Americans.
- Declining Savings Rate: Despite disposable income rising from $63,638 to $68,391, the personal savings rate has dropped from 6.2% to 3.7%, indicating that consumption is outpacing income growth, which exacerbates the savings challenge.
- Advantage of Continuous Investment: Workers who contributed continuously for 15 years averaged a 401(k) balance of $613,200, demonstrating the importance of staying invested through market cycles, significantly outperforming the average balance of $304,200 for those who invested for only five years.
- Contribution Limits and Goals: The 2026 employee 401(k) contribution limit is set at $24,500, with additional catch-up contributions for those aged 50 and above, emphasizing the necessity of increasing savings to close the gap towards the $1.6 million target.
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Analyst Views on SCHW
Wall Street analysts forecast SCHW stock price to rise
16 Analyst Rating
14 Buy
1 Hold
1 Sell
Strong Buy
Current: 101.930
Low
91.00
Averages
116.64
High
148.00
Current: 101.930
Low
91.00
Averages
116.64
High
148.00
About SCHW
The Charles Schwab Corporation is a savings and loan holding company. The Company, through its subsidiaries, engages in wealth management, securities brokerage, banking, asset management, custody, and financial advisory services. The Company provides financial services to individuals and institutional clients through two segments: Investor Services, and Advisor Services. The Investor Services segment provides retail brokerage, investment advisory, and banking and trust services to individual investors, and retirement plan and business services, as well as other corporate brokerage services, to businesses and their employees. The Advisor Services segment provides custodial, trading, banking and trust, and support services to independent registered investment advisors (RIAs), independent retirement advisors, and recordkeepers. Its products and services include brokerage, mutual funds, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), managed investing solutions, alternative investments, banking, and trust.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
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- SpaceX Joins Nasdaq: SpaceX was fast-tracked into the Nasdaq-100 on Tuesday, closing its first trading day at $160.95, approximately 30% below its June 16 high of $225.64, indicating strong market interest despite the decline.
- Financial Sector Surge: The S&P Financials sector surged 4.5% in the past week and 7.6% over the month, with 82 out of 85 stocks rising last week, led by Robinhood's impressive 43% increase over three months, reflecting renewed investor confidence in financial stocks.
- Coca-Cola Hits New High: Coca-Cola shares have risen 7.4% over the past three months, reaching a new high, while the S&P Staples sector remained flat, showcasing Coca-Cola's robust performance and stable consumer demand in a challenging market.
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- Index Performance Surge: Schwab's Trading Activity Index (STAX) rose to 59.12 in June, significantly up from May's 55, marking a multi-year high that reflects strong investor interest in stocks, potentially driving the company's stock price higher.
- Investor Behavior Insights: As a unique behavioral index, STAX analyzes stock positions and trading activities from Schwab's millions of client accounts, revealing actual investor actions and market positioning, which indicate shifts in market sentiment.
- Clear Buying Trend: Data shows Schwab investors actively bought index and ETF options during market pullbacks, particularly in tech, communications, and consumer discretionary stocks, indicating a search for opportunities in the current market environment.
- Generational Differences: STAX data reveals that Generation X investors exhibited particularly bullish sentiment in June, highlighting differences in market participation among age groups, which could influence future investment strategies and market dynamics.
See More
Schwab Trading Activity Index Hits Multi-Year High
- Index Performance: Schwab's Trading Activity Index (STAX) rose to 59.12 in June, up from slightly over 55 in May, marking a multi-year high that indicates strong investor interest and market confidence.
- Investor Behavior Analysis: STAX serves as a unique behavioral index that analyzes stock positions and trading activities from Schwab's millions of client accounts, revealing actual investor actions and market positioning, thus reflecting dynamic market changes.
- Market Participation: Schwab clients were net buyers during market pullbacks, particularly in index and ETF options, demonstrating a strong appetite for tech, communications, and consumer discretionary stocks, with Generation X investors showing notable bullishness.
- Market Trend Impact: While STAX may not be a core index to monitor, its multidimensional characteristics can reveal investor trends and habits that influence market sentiment, reflecting Schwab's active role and investor confidence in the market.
See More
Schwab Clients' Trading Activity Surges with Strong Net Buys
- Index Activity Surge: The Schwab Trading Activity Index (STAX) rose to 59.12 in June, up 7.33% from May's 55.08, indicating a robust increase in retail investor buying sentiment and reflecting a recovery in market confidence.
- Sustained Buying Pressure: Throughout June, Schwab clients' net buys outpaced net sells by more than two-to-one, particularly during mid-month market pullbacks, suggesting that investors remain optimistic about future market conditions despite volatility.
- Sector Performance Divergence: Information Technology, Communication Services, and Consumer Discretionary led the net-buy list in June, while Financials, Health Care, and Consumer Staples saw net selling, indicating a preference for tech stocks and caution towards traditional sectors among investors.
- Generational Investment Trends: STAX scores rose across all age groups in June, with Generation X showing the most bullish sentiment, reaching a two-year high, reflecting varying risk appetites and investment strategies among different generations.
See More
Charles Schwab's Growth Potential Amid Trading Boom
- Customer Asset Growth: As of May 2026, Charles Schwab's customer accounts totaled $13.1 trillion, reflecting a 27% year-over-year increase primarily driven by rising stock prices and new account openings, showcasing the company's robust performance amid the retail trading boom.
- Surge in New Accounts: In May 2026, Schwab opened 461,000 new brokerage accounts, a 37% increase compared to May 2025, with each new account providing additional revenue opportunities through commissions and management fees, further fueling income growth.
- Record Trading Volume: Schwab achieved a record daily average of 11.8 million trades in May, indicating strong market engagement and reflecting customer trust and reliance on its platform during a period of heightened trading activity.
- Significant Valuation Advantage: While Robinhood presents a larger growth opportunity, Schwab's price-to-earnings ratio stands at just 19x, significantly lower than Robinhood's 54x, suggesting that investors should not overlook Schwab's strong growth and relatively undervalued position when considering brokerage investments.
See More
