Retirement planning continues to be the biggest financial concern for urban Indians, according to HDFC Life’s ‘Ready for Life’ Index 2025, which points to a sharp mismatch between awareness and actual financial action.
The study reveals a 37-point gap between confidence and preparedness when it comes to retirement. Nearly half of urban respondents have not started saving for retirement, while many believe a corpus of ₹50 lakh to ₹1 crore will be sufficient — an estimate experts say may fall short due to inflation and rising living costs.
For eastern cities such as Shillong, the report shows a more realistic self-assessment compared to other regions, but also highlights a continued reliance on traditional savings options like fixed deposits, gold, and endowment insurance plans. Modern protection products such as term insurance and retirement-focused plans remain underused.
The study also notes that while health awareness is improving with many people undergoing regular check-upsinsurance coverage levels remain low. Emergency savings also remain limited for a large section of households. HDFC Life said the findings stress the need to shift from family-dependent financial security to independent, long-term planning. The report aims to spark conversations on building structured financial protection across cities and income groups, including emerging markets like Shillong.
+ There are no comments
Add yours