The 10 Fears Killing Your Retirement

Retirement fears are rising. But what are people really afraid of? Former Fidelity wealth management executive turned retirement coach David Conti joins us to break down his new Retirement Fear Index, ranking the top 10 things Americans fear most as they approach and live through retirement. At the top: healthcare and long-term care costs, running out of money, the future of Social Security, and inflation. We dig into what’s driving those fears and which ones deserve the most attention.

Richard, Terry, and Pam push back on whether fear is even the right lens and dig into what's actually actionable (32%), what takes behavior change (38%), and what you just have to sit with. Plus: how the Fear Index compares to the VIX and the Crypto Fear & Greed Index, why "confidence" isn't the same as "fear," and the real difference between a financial advisor, a retirement coach, and a financial therapist.

Links: 

• RetireMentors.net and RetirementFearIndex.com (David Conti's websites)
• I’m turning 70. Here’s how I’m making this decade the richest of my retirement (Marketwatch)
• Dealing with fear in retirement (Yahoo Finance)
• 2026 Retirement Confidence Survey (EBRI)
• Boston College Center for Retirement Research
• The 2025 OASDI Trustees Report
• University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment Survey

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