• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Richard Branson double-booked his own job interview. The candidate stuck in traffic with him for 2.5 hours is now Virgin's CEO

2

The heiress of $10 billion Perdue Farms and the $12 billion Sheraton Hotels empire wore hand-me-downs, still rides the subway, and flies economy

3

IBM’s CEO disagrees with JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon’s disdain for texting in meetings: ‘Telling people they can't use their technology would be weird’

1

Richard Branson double-booked his own job interview. The candidate stuck in traffic with him for 2.5 hours is now Virgin's CEO

2

The heiress of $10 billion Perdue Farms and the $12 billion Sheraton Hotels empire wore hand-me-downs, still rides the subway, and flies economy

3

IBM’s CEO disagrees with JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon’s disdain for texting in meetings: ‘Telling people they can't use their technology would be weird’
ConferencesMPW Summit

How the financial impact of coronavirus could haunt consumers for a long time

Lucinda Shen
By
Lucinda Shen
Lucinda Shen
Down Arrow Button Icon
Lucinda Shen
By
Lucinda Shen
Lucinda Shen
Down Arrow Button Icon
September 29, 2020, 6:09 PM ET
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

While the U.S. stock market bounced back quickly amid global lockdown orders, the pandemic will undoubtedly have a lasting economic impact that could change the way investors save for retirement.

 “This is going to have a longer lasting effect as people rebuild retirement and frankly rethink retirement,” said Penny Pennington who leads financial advisory giant Edward Jones as its managing partner, during Fortune‘s virtual Most Powerful Women Summit on Tuesday.

In theory, many 401(k) and retirement account have benefitted from the quick bounce back in the stock market, with the S&P 500 now back to pre-pandemic levels in part thanks to aggressive moves from the Federal Reserve to lower interest rates and early stimulus from Congress. But as the executives on the panel pointed out, there are still many red flags for investors, including underlying economic weaknesses, an unemployment rate of 8.4% and a still uncertain number of small businesses that have closed or are in peril.

All this has had an impact on retirement accounts, said Pennington, who was joined on the panel by Thasunda Brown Duckett, the CEO of JPMorgan’s Chase Consumer Banking division, and Michelle Seitz, the CEO of Russell Investments.

Citing a recent study by Edward Jones, Pennington observed that 68 million Americans say their retirement savings have been negatively impacted by the pandemic, noting that 24 million say they have provided financial support to their adult children as a result of the pandemic. Some 71% of the study’s participants said they would help their children financially—even if it could jeopardize their own financial future.

Wealth inequality is also exacerbating the retirement crisis, the panelists noted. One in three Americans, according to a 2018 study, have just $5,000 set aside for retirement. One in five have nothing at all.

That said all three panelists were relatively optimistic about the recovery continuing, and accelerating into 2021.

About the Author
Lucinda Shen
By Lucinda Shen
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest from our Conferences


Most Popular

Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • TikTok icon
  • YouTube icon

    Latest from our Conferences


    Most Popular

    © 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
    FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.