If you look at the statistics you might think that people of color just don't plan well for retirement. But a closer look at the numbers reveals something quite different. In fact, the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College [1] has found [2] that people of color tend to participate in retirement plans at the same rate as whites – as long as they have access to a workplace retirement plan.
Another factor in the lower savings rates for people of color lies in the fact that people of color tend to earn less than their white counterparts. In 2008, Census data shows that the median annual salary for African-American workers was $31,091,1 while Hispanics earned $26,445.2 At the same time, the median salary for white workers was $41,011.3 In general, low-wage workers are less likely than others to participate in a retirement plan.
Back to that data from the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College. The study, 401(k) Plans and Race [2], shows that, when given the opportunity to participate in a workplace retirement plan, people of color tend to participate at the same rates as whites. The story isn't about whether and how much people of color save for retirement, the story is about low-wage workers and their lack of opportunity to participate in any kind of retirement plan at all.
Sources:
1 Census Bureau, Current Population Survey, March 2009 [3], PINC-05, Part 4.
2 Census Bureau, Current Population Survey, March 2009 [4], PINC-05, Part 6.
3 Census Bureau, Current Population Survey, March 2009 [5], PINC-05, Part 9.