A new national survey from Longbridge Financial finds that retirement confidence among US homeowners ages 55 to 64 lags behind every other age group examined. Where a household holds its wealth — not just how much it holds — is the sharpest driver of that divide.

Published as “The Retirement Confidence Divide,” the second volume of the 2026 Longbridge Financial Home Equity Confidence Index draws on responses from 2,021 US homeowners age 55 and older, surveyed by Morning Consult between March 26 and April 5.

Among homeowners age 75 and older, 82% say they are confident in their ability to afford everyday expenses in retirement.

Among those ages 55 to 64, that figure drops to 59%, a gap that holds across overall financial security (66% vs. 47%) and affording health care (78% vs. 53%).

Where wealth is held matters most
The survey’s most striking finding is structural, not generational. Homeowners whose wealth is concentrated primarily in home equity report a 42-percentage-point gap in overall financial security confidence compared with those whose wealth is mainly in savings and investments — 30% vs. 72%.

For covering unexpected expenses, that split is 34% vs. 75%. For everyday expenses, 53% vs. 82%.

“For many Americans approaching retirement, understanding the full picture of their household wealth, including the equity they have built in their homes, should be part of the retirement planning conversation,” Mayer said.

Income compounds the divide further: among homeowners 55 and older earning $100,000 or more, 76% report confidence in long-term financial security, compared with 39% of those earning below $50,000, a 37-percentage-point split.

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