What Actually Builds Confidence in Retirement?

We have more financial tools and information at our fingertips than ever before, including AI. So why are so many of us still unsure about whether we are on track for a comfortable retirement?

A recent Wealth Insights Report sheds light on this question, and the findings are worth pausing on. Despite all the resources available, only 28% of the 500 respondents surveyed felt confident about being on track for retirement adequacy. The report set out to understand what actually builds retirement confidence, and whether AI is the answer.

More tools do not necessarily mean more confidence

You might assume that people who feel confident about retirement simply do more research or consult more sources. The data says otherwise.

On average, respondents used a similar number of information sources for financial decisions, regardless of how confident they felt:

• Confident respondents used 2.58 sources on average
• Those who felt uneasy or in the middle used 2.40 sources
• Those who felt not confident used 2.43 sources

The gap is negligible. Simply gathering more information does not appear to be what separates confident retirees from uncertain ones.

AI alone is not closing the confidence gap

With AI tools now widely available for financial guidance, it would be reasonable to expect a confidence boost. Yet among respondents who use AI for financial information, only 29% said they trust it to provide reliable, personalised advice.

This suggests that access to AI, on its own, is not enough to build genuine confidence in a retirement plan. Something else is doing the heavy lifting.

What actually moves the needle: a clear, executable plan

The report’s clearest finding is also its most reassuring. Having a clear, executable financial plan moves confidence more than any other factor, more than the number of sources consulted, and more than whether AI is involved at all.

Advisory support, whether from AI, a human adviser, or both, does help people feel more confident. But the main driver of confidence is still having a plan that clearly tracks progress towards your goals.

The report broke down confidence levels by planning approach:

• Respondents with no plan and no support felt confident just 16% of the time
• Those using AI tools alone reached 30% confidence
• Those working with a human adviser reached 31% confidence
• Those with a clear, trackable plan in place felt confident 38% of the time
• Those combining a clear plan with dedicated advisory support reached 58% confidence, by far the strongest result

The takeaway

Feeling confident about retiring well needs clarity, not more information. A plan that shows you exactly where you stand and what progress looks like, backed by the right advisory support, is what actually moves the needle. Tools and technology can support that plan, but they are not a substitute for one.

Wondering how confident you truly are about your retirement plan?

Get in touch with the team at Oreana Private Wealth to build a clear, trackable plan backed by real advisory support, so you can feel confident about the road ahead, not just informed about it.