Fidelity’s 2026 Retirement Study Says 7-in-10 Americans Would Skip Traditional Retirement for Gig Work, a Business, or a New Career

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David Beren

Wed, June 10, 2026 astatine 9:28 AM CDT 5 min read

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Seven successful 10 Americans would see alternatives to accepted retirement, including gig work, concern ownership, consulting, oregon an wholly caller career.
Gen Z leads with 45% unfastened to entrepreneurship, portion 70% of Boomers cull non-traditional paths entirely, revealing a crisp generational divide.
Retirees with a written program are doubly arsenic assured and 81% study capable beingness savings, versus lone 45% without a plan.
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Fidelity's 2026 Retirement Study describes a meaningful displacement successful however Americans representation their aboriginal moving years. The accepted model, successful which workers afloat exit the labour unit successful their mid-60s, is becoming little common. Seven successful 10 Americans told Fidelity they would see an alternate to accepted retirement, whether that means gig work, starting a business, consulting, oregon moving into an wholly caller career. Retirement is progressively described arsenic a modulation alternatively than a stopping point.

In addition, 45% of Gen Z respondents said they would see starting their ain concern oregon pursuing self-employment arsenic portion of their status plan, the highest stock of immoderate procreation for immoderate alternate path. Only 10% of Gen Z said they would not see an alternate astatine all, compared with 70% of Boomers who similar sticking wholly to a accepted path. For workers who are decades distant from a accepted status date, the thought of gathering thing of their ain is already baked into however they deliberation astir their semipermanent fiscal lives.

What Each Alternative Path Looks Like by Generation

Gen Z's interests widen beyond entrepreneurship: 31% privation to prosecute a antithetic vocation path, and 32% are drawn to consulting oregon part-time work. Millennials intimately way down successful ownership, with 42% funny successful moving a concern and 37% successful gig work. Gen X stands retired for broadside income, posting the highest speechmaking connected gig enactment and broadside hustles astatine 43%, which fits a procreation successful peak-earning years that is inactive actively shaping its status equilibrium sheet. Boomers stay the outlier, with lone 4% funny successful concern ownership and 3% successful a vocation change.

This infographic details however 7 successful 10 Americans are considering alternate status paths, specified arsenic gig enactment oregon starting a caller business, influenced by generational divides, economical pressures, and a supportive market.

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