A wide array of factors is leading Generation X U.S. workers to face a looming “retirement crisis,” says Torsten Slok, chief economist at Apollo Wealth Management.
One factor is that fewer than one in six U.S. workers aged 45 to 54, which falls squarely in the Gen X category, contributed the maximum to their 401(k) accounts, according to data from Vanguard’s “How America Saves 2025” report.
This year, the employee contribution limit to 401(k)s was $23,500—ages 50 to 59 can throw an additional $7,500 into these retirement accounts—up from $23,000 in 2024.
But other factors are also playing a role in deteriorating retirement circumstances, Slok says….