US investors are deeply concerned about the status of their retirement savings. Recent studies have indicated that American workers are not saving enough for retirement. A new study by HSBC indicates that Americans are in good company. Worldwide, indications point to an entire generation of people who do not have sufficient retirement savings.

Currently, a very small percentage of working individuals are well prepared for retirement. At the opposite end of the spectrum are a large number of people who are categorically unprepared for retirement. These people will always struggle to get by and may never be able to exit the workforce. For the people in between, the picture is not so clear, but there remains a significant chance that this group will also be unprepared for retirement.

The HSBC study indicates that the single biggest risk for coming up short in retirement is relying on a single source of retirement income. Worldwide, different groups prefer different investment vehicles for retirement savings, but the real risk is not so tightly tied to the retirement savings vehicle as it is to the diversity of income sources.

If you’re looking for a way to diversify your retirement savings, the purchase of real estate in emerging economies offers the potential for significant gains. Right now, Mexico is one of the hottest emerging economies and Puerto Vallarta is one of the hottest real estate markets within Mexico. There is no better time to invest in real estate here. Currently, property values are rising at a rate of about 10 percent per year. This condition has been present for the past ten years and experts believe that double-digit growth here will continue for at least the next five years.

It’s never a bad idea to diversify your retirement savings, as long as you can find a safe, reliable investment vehicle. Right now, Puerto Vallarta real estate seems to be the best offer on the table in term of value, stability, and growth potential.

Photo Credit: Jorge Vicente