Gen X investors worried about retirement savings

Despite having larger amounts of investable assets, Gen Xer do-it-yourself investors are least likely to describe themselves as wealthy and they are significantly less confident about their financial future than other generations, according to a survey by E*Trade.

Nearly half (48%) of Gen Xers (those age 35 to 54) reported household investable assets of $100,000 to $499,000, compared to 34% of millennials and 28% of baby boomers. Among Gen Xers, 39% described themselves as somewhat wealthy and 4% as wealthy—the lowest among the three generations surveyed.

Thirty-nine percent of baby boomers reported having $1 million or more in household investable assets, compared to 12% of Gen Xers and 7% of millennials. Among boomers, 43% described themselves as somewhat wealthy and 3% said they are very wealthy.

The survey was conducted in October and focused on 902 U.S. self-directed, active investors who manage at least $10,000 in an online brokerage account.

The survey showed that saving for retirement is the biggest concern among for Gen Xers, who, unlike millennials and baby boomers, expressed more stress about not having enough saved for retirement (32%) than the loss of a loved one (26%).

Gen Xers are also dipping into their savings more so than other generations. The study found that almost four in 10 Gen X investors (37%) said they have taken an early retirement withdrawal, up 10 percentage points in the past five years.

The report also showed that Gen X investors are less likely than other generations to seek the help of an investment professional. Nearly half (46%) indicated that they use online tools to determine how much they need to save each month to retire the way they want to.