1、Retirement savings adequacy and retirement income planning:The asset-salary ratio approachAbstractFinancial planning can help individuals toward greater financial security in retirement but can often be complex.In this paper,we examine how a simple measure,the assetsalary ratio(ASR),can be used to g
2、auge an individuals retirement readiness.We discuss how varying key assumptions alters retirement income planning outcomes,including savings,investment returns,salary growth,retirement timing,and length of contributions.Finally,we provide a perspective of ASRs based on historical returns for various
3、 worker cohorts.Our results and discussions are useful both to individuals and practitioners for retirement income planning.Research Dialogue|Issue no.218March 2026Any opinions expressed herein are those of the authors,and do not necessarily represent the views of TIAA,the TIAA Institute or any othe
4、r organization with which the authors are affiliated.BrentJ.Davis TIAA InstituteAndrew Gellert TIAA InstituteBenny Goodman TIAA InstituteRETIREMENT SAVINGS ADEQUACY AND RETIREMENT INCOME PLANNING 21.IntroductionMany Americans save for retirement through their workplace retirement plan,and over three
5、-quarters of them save with a defined contribution(DC)plan(EBSA,2023).Compared with defined benefit(DB)plans,DC plans combine plan features,such as auto enrollment and portability,with access to equity markets through qualified default investment alternatives(QDIAs).But individuals need to manage th
6、eir retirement solvency riskthat is,their risk of having insufficient accumulated assets to support their target standard of living in retirement.With a marketplace of complex financial products and many existing diverging views of savings adequacy,it is not surprising many households with workplace