Baby Boomers Face Unprecedented Debt Levels in Retirement, Challenging Traditional Financial Planning
Baby Boomers are entering retirement with higher levels of debt than any preceding generation, a significant departure from historical financial planning norms. According to the Federal Reserve's Survey of Consumer Finances from 2022, approximately 69% of Baby Boomer households carried some form of debt. The median debt for Boomer households was $62,450, while the average was considerably higher at $147,122, influenced by a few households with exceptionally large balances. Younger Baby Boomers (ages 58-66) showed a higher propensity for debt (75%) compared to older Boomers (67-76) at 62%, and also carried more debt, with a median of $73,610 versus $43,000. This trend represents a substantial increase, with median debt for households aged 65-74 quadrupling since 1992, and for those 75 and older, it has more than septupled.