Recession forces some to skip retirement

“At least in part, this may be the result of the damage the recession and financial crisis have done to the assets small-business owners plan to rely on as a major source of income in their retirement,” the poll states. 

Sixty-eight percent of respondents worry they will not be able to build back retirement savings lost during the downturn. 

“The economic crisis of the past three years has done great economic damage as many American have lost their jobs, seen their incomes decline, lost their homes and lost their businesses,” the poll states. “Though not often discussed, many Americans not experiencing such disastrous events have also suffered as they’ve seen years of savings disappear that they may never be able to rebuild.”

For those who do plan to retire, 58 percent worry they won’t be able to maintain the standard of living they now enjoy, compared to 36 percent who felt this way in late 2007.