Skip to navigationSkip to main contentSkip to right columnADVERTISEMENTMoneywiseTue, August 11, 2026 at 11:10 AM GMT+2 7 min readAnna Webber/Getty Images for SiriusXMMoneywise and Yahoo Finance LLC may earn commission or revenue through links in the content below.We adhere to strict standards of editorial integrity to help you make decisions with confidence. Some or all links contained within this article are paid links.With over 30 years of fielding listener calls and cultivating a devoted audience, Dave Ramsey has become one of the rare experts truly in tune with the nation's financial heartbeat.Ramsey's 2023 "Today's Retirement Crisis" study, based on a 2016 survey, highlights a surprising statistic — 42% of Americans are not currently saving for the future (1).Must ReadJeff Bezos backs a platform that lets anyone invest in rental homes for as little as $100 — 6 ways to build wealth like a landlord without actually being oneJPMorgan still sees gold hitting $5,000/oz by Q4 — and savvy investors are protecting their wealth with a tax-advantaged Gold IRA. Learn more with a free guide from Priority GoldThe tax breaks in Trump's 'big beautiful bill' expire after 2028 — and experts say most people won't act in time. What to do before the window closes"Even among savers, few are setting aside enough to afford a truly secure retirement. In fact, only one-in-10 Americans save 15% or more of their income — the amount industry experts recommend individuals set aside in order to build adequate savings — for retirement," according to the Ramsey Solutions study.This "alarming" information could indicate that many people are facing dire retirement prospects.Nearly 62% of retired Americans say Social Security is a "major source" of their retirement income, according to Gallup (2).But these benefits are designed to replace just 40% of pre-retirement income. The estimated average monthly Social Security retirement benefit for 2026 is $2,071, which translates to an annual income of just over $24,852 (3) — much less than what a comfortable retirement would usually require.Whether you're close to retirement or just planning ahead, here are the three steps you can take to start stitching together a safety net that can protect your golden years.1. Create a saving benchmarkThe first step for anyone looking to retire with a comfortable nest egg is to set a benchmark for minimum monthly savings to help secure your future.As of June 2026, the U.S. personal savings rate was just 2.7%, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis (4). This is the ratio of personal savings to disposable personal income, and it is simply too low to fund a robust retirement. Ramsey recommends setting the benchmark significantly higher at 15% of gross income. This also assumes you already have an emergency fund and you're out of debt.Terms and Privacy PolicyEU DSA contactPrivacy & Cookie SettingsMore Info