A 2011 poll by the Harvard School of Public Health, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and NPR looked at the differences between the expectations of pre-retirees and the realities reported by Americans who are retired. The poll suggests that Americans who are 50 and over and expect to retire, underestimate the challenges facing retirees (also over 50). A sizable minority of retirees report that important aspects of life in retirement are worse than the five years prior to retiring.

Choose any of the categories on the left to see detailed results on the differences between what pre-retirees expect and the reality reported by those experiencing retirement.