Texas voters think there is a ‘retirement crisis’ and their post-work accounts are underfunded, according to new study from asset management giant BlackRock, even though the issue hasn’t drawn the same attention in national and state elections as other hot-button issues.

The study is part of what company founder and CEO Larry Fink called “rethinking retirement” in his 2024 annual chairman’s letter to investors. In his letter, Fink wrote that the retirement crisis requires a substantial response from the U.S. government.

“America needs an organized, high-level effort to ensure that future generations can live out their final years with dignity,” he wrote.

The new study, which surveyed 500 registered voters in Texas, seems to point toward Texan voters being in broad agreement with Fink. One of the most eye-catching figures: 91% of Texas voters think there is a retirement savings crisis in America.

The survey results come two months ahead of a pivotal national election where the economy and inflation are expected to be key issues among voters, but social security and retirement savings policies have been overshadowed by abortion, immigration, foreign policy and tax priorities.

Texans are slightly more concerned about a retirement crisis than the country as a whole, of which 90% said there is such an issue.

Once you take that into account, the rest of the figures in the study are no surprise. More than 70% of registered Texas voters are concerned about having enough in savings or investments to fund their needs in retirement. A similar percentage are concerned about maintaining their standard of living or being able to afford long-term costs like nursing homes once they retire.

Nationally, voters estimate it will take about $2.2 million to retire, but 62 % of registered voters in Texas surveyed report they have less than $150,000 in retirement savings.

All told, less than a quarter (24%) of registered Texas voters expressed a high level of confidence that they have enough to live throughout their retirement years. That’s a lower percentage than the 32% who reported they have no retirement savings at all.

That 32% with no retirement savings is skewed toward young people and minorities. According to the survey, 52% of registered Texas voters aged 18-34 and 46% of Black voters reported having no money saved for retirement.

That number is also high (41%) amongst women between the ages of 18 and 54. Lower earnings and longer life expectancy on average, as well as career pauses, often for family reasons, are three of the top factors for less savings among women.

The Motley Fool: Tech giant Alphabet built to thrive

If online search and advertising revenue dried up, Alphabet would rely on its Android smartphone, YouTube video platform and Google Cloud decentralized computing service in the short term.

Advertisement

ProPublica: Irving-based auto lender Exeter deferred loans and drove up borrowing costs

Exeter is one of the largest auto lenders in the nation, specializing in high-interest loans to people with histories of not paying bills or defaulting on debt, a practice known as subprime lending. The company, which has more than 500,000 active loans and a partnership agreement with CarMax, the country’s largest used car retailer, casts itself as a provider of second chances. “We’re here to help,” it says on its website. In reality, Exeter’s practices often do the opposite. When the company allows a borrower to skip payments, it typically adds thousands of dollars in new interest charges to the customer’s debt. Dozens of customers told ProPublica that Exeter didn’t tell them about the added costs. When it’s time to make their final payment, many are faced with a huge bill, which they often can’t afford to pay.

Texas’ stunning performance against UTSA on Saturday may have ended in a whopping 56-7 victory and a No. 1 standing in the latest AP Poll, but the feat came with the price of losing key playmakers to a throttling Roadrunners defense.

The Longhorns saw multiple players head to the sideline after being knocked around by a physical opposing secondary, including sophomore cornerback Malik Muhammad, senior wide receiver Silas Bolden and junior offensive lineman Kelvin Banks Jr. One of the more notable and concerning injuries struck starting quarterback Quinn Ewers, who suffered a hit to the abdomen that caused him to head into the medical tent early in the second quarter.

Even prior to the game, Texas announced that starting running back Jaydon Blue, defensive lineman Aaron Bryant, and defensive back Jelani McDonald would be ruled out due to previous medical complications.

It seemed like head coach Steve Sarkisian was running out of options, and fast. But he said the absences left room for both offensive and defensive depth to shine, a factor that has been extremely helpful in Texas’ road to glory this season.

“We’re a little knicked up right now at some spots, and that’s why our depth is getting tested,” Sarkisian said. “But the beauty of it is that we have the depth that we have.”

Ewers’ unexpected departure called for backup quarterback Arch Manning to take the field, and he left Darrell K. Royal Stadium in awe after contributing four touchdowns within six drives during the final half, headlined by a 67-yard rush to the endzone in the second quarter.

“It was an odd play, but that gave an opportunity for Arch to get some valuable playing time and experience,” Sarkisian said.

Outside of Manning’s ability to handle the pressure and deliver a solid game for Texas, running backs freshman Jerrick Gibson and sophomore Quintrevion Wisner were able to receive some opportunities in the wake of Blue’s absence. The two had a collective 95 rushing yards on 19 attempts.

Combined with the offensive success under Manning, the Texas defense did its part in keeping the Roadrunners from seeing the red zone, even with Banks and Muhammad out of the game. It held UTSA to just 260 total offensive yards, averaging 3.8 yards per play, and only allowed one touchdown while accumulating 75 total tackles, including 12 for loss, and three sacks for the evening.

Sarkisian specifically highlighted the fact that the Longhorns’ defense has incredible versatility and was able to see a variety of plays being made by different members of the interior line. He mentioned the names of transfer edge Trey Moore, freshman offensive linebacker Colin Simmons, freshman linebacker Anthony Hill, redshirt freshman linebacker Colton Vasek, and freshman linebacker Ty’Anthony Smith, all teammates that produced at least one tackle or a sack for the Longhorns.

“We got some depth on the interior defensive line,” Sarkisian said. “I think we added some juice off the edge with Trey and Colin coming on board. I think sliding Anthony in the middle and then rotating those guys like we have, and we saw a bunch of different guys make plays. And I think that’s one thing about the defense right now. It’s not just about one group or one player that’s dominating.”

Texas will be back in action at home next weekend against the University of Louisiana-Monroe with the hope of seeing some familiar faces return to the field or another chance to display its depth on all fronts.

Until Saturday Newsletter 🏈 | This is The Athletic’s college football newsletter. Sign up here to receive Until Saturday directly in your inbox.

Cal coach Justin Wilcox used the ref’s microphone to beg fans to stop throwing cards on the field because the Bears were being hit with 15-yard penalties. Just another night with ACC After Dark.

Manning’s Moment

Texas backup accounts for 5 TDs

Texas’ Quinn Ewers, who has looked like the best quarterback in the country this season, exited the Longhorns’ 56-7 win against UTSA in the second quarter with a strained abdomen. After the game, coach Steve Sarkisian said the injury was non-contact and that the seriousness of it “remains to be seen.”

Ewers’ absence opened the door for backup Arch Manning, nephew of Peyton and Eli and grandson of Archie, to record his first extended game time for Texas. His final stat line: 9-for-12 for 223 yards, four TDs, plus three carries for 53 yards and one score. I asked The Athletic’s Texpert, Sam Khan to break down the 19-year-old’s performance for us today:

“He showed off all the traits that made him such a coveted recruit. He was accurate, decisive, showed off his arm strength and his athleticism.

“His 67-yard touchdown run, on his third play of the game, showed just how athletic he is. ‘I think he got his grandpa’s athleticism, I don’t know if he got his uncles’,” coach Steve Sarkisian joked.

“But his arm talent was also evident. His final touchdown pass to Johntay Cook was perfectly placed in the back corner of the end zone. Earlier in that drive, he scrambled to his left and uncorked a beauty to freshman Ryan Wingo.

“More than anything, Manning looked comfortable, which is encouraging considering how little playing time he has had since arriving. This was just his fourth career appearance and only his second with more than two series of action. If Ewers misses time and the Longhorns must start Manning, it looks like they’ll be in great hands.” — Khan

SEC Heartbreakers

The upsets that could have been

The underdogs made convincing cases but fell just short of pulling off big wins.

💔 Kentucky drops a 13-12 decision to No. 1 Georgia. There’s just something about Georgia and Kentucky’s Kroger Field. Two years after skating by in a low-scoring 16-6 win and four years after winning 14-3, the No. 1 Bulldogs once again were tested in Lexington. Kentucky led 6-3 at halftime and held the Bulldogs without a TD through three quarters. But Kirby Smart’s team did just enough in the second half to win, even if it marked the lowest-scoring Georgia performance since Sept. 4, 2021, against Clemson. Kentucky has gone two straight weeks without scoring a TD (but, for the record, nobody has reached the end zone against Georgia this season).

💔 South Carolina had a prime opportunity to top No. 16 LSU but lost 36-33. The Gamecocks surged to a 17-0 lead early. But as LSU closed the gap, two South Carolina pick sixes were called back because of penalties, only further opening the door for the Tigers. The Gamecocks attempted a 49-yard field goal to tie the score as time expired, but the kick veered just left. LSU made plenty of mistakes, but South Carolina couldn’t hold onto its lead to pull out the early conference win despite the Tigers looking extremely vulnerable.

Week 3 Trending

FSU still falling, Texas A&M rises

📉 In case you haven’t checked, Florida State, which entered this season as the No. 10 team in the country, still hasn’t won. The Seminoles lost 20-12 to Memphis (where Mike Norvell was head coach from 2016-19 before being hired away to Tallahassee) to fall to 0-3. At one point, QB DJ Uiagalelei was 5 of 5 passing for 7 yards. It was another embarrassing performance that begs the question: How does a team win 13 games one year and turn into an absolute train wreck the next?

📈 Texas A&M beat Florida 33-20 in a game that felt much more one-sided. It marked the Aggies’ first true road win since Oct. 16, 2021, and they did so with backup QB Marcel Reed (starter Conner Weigman was out with a shoulder injury). Meanwhile, it feels like Florida coach Billy Napier’s seat is getting hotter and hotter.

📉 Wisconsin has been trending this way for a while, but a 42-10 romp by No. 4 Alabama — the Badgers’ worst home defeat in 16 years — exposed how far Luke Fickell’s program is from success. Wisconsin QB Tyler Van Dyke exited the game with a right knee injury, but the Badgers’ issues run far deeper than the quarterbacks. Meanwhile, the Crimson Tide solidified themselves as College Football Playoff frontrunners. Next up? No. 1 Georgia.

📈 No. 18 Notre Dame recovered from last week’s shocking loss to Northern Illinois with a 66-7 win at Purdue. It was the Fighting Irish’s largest win since 1996. Both QB Riley Leonard and RB Jeremiyah Love rushed for 100 yards. (If you’re curious about Northern Illinois, the Huskies did not play.)

Early Rivalry Fun

Backyard Brawl brings the heat

A few West Coast rivalries were in action yesterday (No. 12 Utah rallied to beat Utah State 38-21 and Colorado bounced back to beat Colorado State 28-9). As for the revenge of the Pac-12 …

• No. 9 Oregon woke up in its 49-14 beatdown of Oregon State. The Ducks were lights-out in the second half, outgaining the Beavs 330-89 and outscoring them 27-0. Oregon QB Dillon Gabriel completed 20-of-24 passes for 291 yards and two TDs while rushing for 64 yards and a score. Special points for the uniform matchup in this one — it was crisp. And while Oregon State’s future looks clearer after Pac-12 expansion, the future of this Civil War rivalry remains in question.
• Washington State won the Apple Cup, 24-19 win against Washington. WSU QB John Mateer threw for 245 yards and one TD while leading the Cougars on the ground with 16 carries for 62 yards and another two TDs. The Cougars solidified the neutral-site win at the Seahawks’ stadium with a late goal-line stand.

But it was a rivalry in the East that stole the show:

• The Backyard Brawl between West Virginia and Pitt proved to be one of the most exciting games yesterday. The Panthers were victorious 38-34, marking their second consecutive come-from-behind win. The Mountaineers’ Justin Robinson made a one-handed TD catch in the fourth quarter that was highlight-worthy, but Pitt scored two TDs in the final 3:06. Panthers coach Pat Narduzzi didn’t shy away from his thoughts on the officiating: “We beat West Virginia in the Backyard Brawl, and we beat the officials, too, in the same game,” he said. Narduzzi’s Panthers had 12 penalties for 112 yards while WVU was called for seven for 67 yards.

Quick Snaps

A whooping cough outbreak at Portland State caused the Vikings to call off their game versus South Dakota.

Nebraska is 3-0 for the first time since 2016 with Big Ten play on deck. The Huskers avoided a misstep in a 34-3 win against Northern Iowa yesterday.

What did we learn about the College Football Playoff race in Week 3? The SEC could dominate this year’s field … and one of its teams is still massively underrated.

Read Stewart Mandel’s Final Thoughts from Week 3 here.

You can buy tickets to every college football game here.

For streaming info on Fubo, click here.

Enjoy this? Sign up for our other newsletters! Scoop City 🏈 | The Bounce 🏀 | Full Time ⚽ | The Windup ⚾ | Prime Tire 🏁 | The Pulse 📣

(Photo: Tim Warner / Getty Images)