Maine Voters Want a State Retirement Savings Program Economic Security and Work

Maine Voters Want a State Retirement Savings Program

AARP Maine Retirement Security Survey

Read the Detailed Findings

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This survey was commissioned by AARP in Maine to gauge the support of registered voters for a state retirement savings program. Results show that Maine voters want state lawmakers to support such a program. More than one in five (22%) Maine voters say their employer does not offer a retirement savings plan, and most (84%) say they would likely take advantage of a plan to save for retirement if it were offered.

Top Findings

Nearly all (88%) Maine registered voters believe it is very important to be able to save for retirement while working. Two in three (67%) Maine registered voters support a public–private managed state retirement savings program. Most (86%) agree that state lawmakers should support legislation that enables workers to save for retirement. As taxpayers, most (82%) are concerned (very: 46%; somewhat: 36%) that some Mainers have not saved enough for retirement and could end up relying on public assistance programs.

Background

A financially secure retirement is out of reach for millions of American workers and small business owners. Retirement savings plans can be costly to operate and challenging to manage, leaving many workers and small business owners without access to a retirement plan. To help workers better prepare for their retirement, AARP is supporting states in their efforts to create and implement a state retirement savings option that would enable businesses to offer employees a way to save via a payroll deduction. These public–private managed programs would be easy for employers to set up, and they would have low costs and low risks to the employer and the state.

Methodology

The sample of 602 registered voters in Maine ages 25–64 was drawn from a registered voter list. A phone survey was fielded October 5–14, 2019. Half of the interviews were conducted via landline phone and half were conducted via cell phone. All data are weighted by age, gender, and race/ethnicity according to the October 2019 Maine state voter database statistics. For more information, please contact Jennifer Sauer at . For media inquiries, please contact . Suggested citation: Sauer, Jennifer. AARP Maine Retirement Security Survey. Washington, DC: AARP Research, January 2020.

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