Two in five British workers aged 46 to 55 do not know how much they have saved for retirement, despite closing in on the age they can access their pensions for the first time.
That is the headline finding from a new study by insurance firm Aviva, which found that this age group is the most likely to not know how much they have saved in pensions.
The research also shows that one-third of all employees aged 22 to 65 - the criteria currently used for automatic pension enrolment - do not know how much they have saved.
Aviva's head of savings and retirement, Alistair McQueen, said it was "critical" for workers in their 40s and 50s to keep track of savings and avoid approaching retirement "with a blindfold on".
"They can be accessed at age 55, at which point some big decisions might need to be made," she continued. "Without knowing how much you have, it's difficult to put a plan in place."
Government figures released earlier this year show that workplace pension participation reached all-time high of 84% in 2017, but the amount being saved is at a record low.
The Aviva research reveals that half of workers aged 22 to 65 believe they need to be saving more, rising to 52% among 31-45-year-olds, and falling to 40% for those aged 56 to 65.
It was also found that there is an even split between positive and negative feelings towards saving, with 41% of workers admitting they are worried, disappointed, stressful, regretful or panicked.
The research also highlights stark differences between the sexes, with almost a quarter of women say they feel worried about their savings, compared to just 13% of men.
Similarly, while 18% of men describe themselves as confident about their savings, only 10% of women say the same.
"It's clear there are some fears and insecurities around savings, and having two in five people either worried or stressed about their finances is a concerning statistic," McQueen said.
"Retirement is very much in the control of the individual. The money saved now will be in their hands in the future, so now is the time to start making active choices."
