Investors are upbeat about their chances of recouping losses from the recession and are looking at new options to build their retirement savings, Prudential Financial Inc. says.
A survey by Prudential, Newark, N.J., found that, in the wake of the stock market turmoil:
--Investors estimate on average that they lost more than a third of their assets.
--62% of workers said they think the money they lost in their employer retirement plans can grow back, and more than two-thirds of this group thinks that will happen within 5 years.
--80% recognized a need to start rebuilding their savings after the recession.
--Among retirees, 73% said they are looking for new ways to grow their assets.
--About 75% of all respondents said a product with guarantees for lifetime income, protection of principal and opportunities to lock in market gains would be important or nice to have in their portfolio.
--77% said they will pay more diligent attention to their investments following the recession.
--Two-thirds would likely seek a solution that offered guaranteed income.
--About 70% said they would put money back into the stock market if protected by such income guarantees.
--About 70% said being too aggressive with investments is riskier than being too conservative, up sharply from just 2 years ago, when Pru found investors evenly split on the same question.
Prudential's survey, conducted on line, polled 1,001 Americans age 45 to 75 with $100,000 or more in retirement savings.
