For many Americans, their 401(k) balance is a sobering reminder that good intentions don’t always lead to good outcomes.

Perhaps you planned to increase your retirement savings each year, but instead succumbed to immediate gratification and upgraded to a nicer car each time you were promoted. Or you charged family vacations to your credit card but never fully paid them off. Maybe you diligently funded your retirement account, only to borrow from it to pay for costly home repairs because you didn’t have an emergency fund to cover the expenses.

The result: Instead of accumulating the recommended six times your annual salary in your retirement fund by age 50, you have less than $100,000 saved and fewer than 20 years to finance what could be a decades-long retirement.

If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone. Nearly 60 percent of those who are saving worry that they aren’t putting aside enough money for retirement, according to a 2024 Bankrate study. And in a 2024 AARP study, about one-quarter of U.S. adults over the age of 50 who are not yet retired said they would never be able to.

Despite 73 percent of private sector, state and local government employees having access to an employer-sponsored retirement plan, just 56 percent participate, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. And many people who do sometimes cut back or stop their contributions to offset inflation and unexpected expenses — or when there is uncertainty in the market. According to a 2025 Morgan Stanley at Work report, nearly four in 10 employees surveyed earlier this year said they reduced their 401(k) contributions in reaction to current economic worries, which isn’t always advisable.

Financial experts have identified five common habits that sabotage retirement savings, all stemming from our tendency to choose immediate gratification over future financial security. Here’s a closer look at these money missteps that can undermine long-term financial health — and practical strategies to overcome them.