When it comes to retirement savings, Americans know they are falling behind — and it's stressing them out. Northwestern Mutual's 2018 Planning & Progress Study, which surveyed 2,003 adults, found that 78 percent of Americans say they're 'extremely' or 'somewhat' concerned about not having enough money for retirement. Another 66 percent believe that they'll outlive their retirement savings. Their concerns are valid. A shocking 21 percent of Americans have nothing at all saved for the future, and another 10 percent have less than $5,000 socked away for their golden years, the study found. Some respondents are making headway. A quarter report having $200,000 or more stashed away, while 16 percent have between $75,000 and $199,999. However, Northwestern Mutual found that, overall, Americans average $84,821 in retirement savings, which is far from enough.

It's rarely too late to start. In fact, we often compare financial and physical fitness because the hardest part is taking the first step. Rebekah Barsch VP of planning for Northwestern Mutual