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Retirement Assets Total $48.1 Trillion

Retirement Assets Total $48.1 Trillion

Americans have stashed away $48.1 trillion in retirement plans as of September 30, 2025, up 4.5 percent from June, according to ICI, a trade group that represents retirement plan providers.

Go deeper: Retirement assets accounted for 34 percent of all U.S. household financial assets.

By the numbers: A majority of Americans’ retirement funds were held in individual retirement accounts (IRAs), which totaled $18.9 trillion in Q3 2025, an increase of 5.2 percent from the prior quarter.

  • Assets in defined contribution (DC) plans, which include 401(k)s, totaled $13.9 trillion, up 5.1 percent.
  • Government defined benefit (DB) plans—including federal, state, and local government plans—held $9.5 trillion in assets, a 3.1 percent increase.

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Darryl Hicks

Darryl Hicks is Vice President of Communications for the National Reverse Mortgage Lenders Association. In this capacity, Hicks writes for NRMLA's publications, manages the association's web sites and social media accounts, assists committees and the Board of Directors, and manages the Certified Reverse Mortgage Professional designation. Prior to joining NRMLA in 1999, Hicks spent three years in the Washington, D.C. bureau for National Mortgage News.