The famous baby boomer generation is a generation of spenders. Their philosophy is to live for today and forget tomorrow. Hopefully, subsequent generations will learn a valuable lesson. Baby boomers needed an investor coach to help them save their future self from their current self.

While baby boomers with pension plans are more likely to retire at or before the traditional age of 65 than those without pensions, they still wish they had done more to save for retirement, according to a survey from Fidelity Investments.Nearly half (48%) expect to retire with debt, primarily mortgage payments followed by credit cards, car payments and student loans for either themselves, their spouse or their children.

Among all retired boomers (those with and without pensions), seven in 10 have what Wendy Foster, senior vice president at Fidelity Investments, calls “retiree remorse.” They regret not having saved more, she said.

“Our research uncovered the fact that even the small population of baby boomers who actually receive a pension payout today feel they should have saved earlier than they did for their income in retirement,” Foster said in a statement.

One in five retirees with pensions acknowledged they did no planning before retirement, with half indicating they only began planning about 12 months before they retired.

The research also found that 63% of employed boomers would roll all of their pension assets into an IRA or 401(k) plan if given the choice or required to take a lump-sum distribution. More than one in six (16%) would roll some of it into an IRA or 401(k) and use some to purchase an annuity and just 6% would purchase an annuity with the entire amount.

This is the most shocking statistic regarding the retiring baby boomers. Most will live far below their working standard of living once retired.

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