Answer: Didn't save enough for retirement.

Questions:

• Why do you think that 20-somethings have so much difficulty saving for retirement?
• What do you think seniors mean when they say "spent too much on non-essentials?"
• How would you answer the question, "what is your biggest financial regret?" 

Here's the ready-to-use slides for classroom use. 

Behind the numbers (from Priceonomics):

The plurality of the respondents, 21.4 percent, indicated that the biggest financial regret from their twenties was not saving enough for retirement. Other popular answer choices included spending too much money on nonessential things (17 percent), not investing (12.3 percent), and getting into too much debt (10 percent).

Circling back, it was quite telling that senior citizens regret not saving enough for retirement in their twenties. Getting a jumpstart on retirement is essential to living a comfortable life in one’s later years. Due to compound interest, the earliest possible start to retirement saving will be the most beneficial as your money will have more time to grow.

About the Author

Tim Ranzetta

Tim's saving habits started at seven when a neighbor with a broken hip gave him a dog walking job. Her recovery, which took almost a year, resulted in Tim getting to know the bank tellers quite well (and accumulating a savings account balance of over $300!). His recent entrepreneurial adventures have included driving a shredding truck, analyzing executive compensation packages for Fortune 500 companies and helping families make better college financing decisions. After volunteering in 2010 to create and teach a personal finance program at Eastside College Prep in East Palo Alto, Tim saw firsthand the impact of an engaging and activity-based curriculum, which inspired him to start a new non-profit, Next Gen Personal Finance.

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