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More than nine out of 10 married couples had insufficient or no post-retirement savings, a private think tank survey showed Wednesday.

Newlyweds needed about 200 million won ($137,014) for their weddings, with more than half of them taking out loans to cover expenses, according to Hana Institute of Finance.

These were key findings of its annual report based on a survey of 5,000 of Hana's financial consumers aged 20 to 64 in Seoul and the metropolitan area.

The report showed that the assets of married couples averaged about 700 million won.

The respondents said they expected their assets to increase by about 200 million won by the time they retire, but said they still felt financially insecure.

In contrast, the assets of those who said they have secured post-retirement plans averaged about 1.86 billion won, more than double the average. Their holdings were in financial and inherited assets.

Real estate, equities and retail pension products topped the list of their asset classes, unlike financially insecure groups, which relied almost exclusively on state-run pension monthly payouts.

Severance pay-funded pension programs and housing pension programs were among the choices for the latter group.

As for newlyweds and soon-to-be newlyweds, the increase in wedding costs was a source of concern and a factor in delaying marriages.

Couples who married in the past three years spent 200 million won, but soon-to-be newlyweds said the figure would increase by 10 million every year due to inflation.

The investment focus for singles who were open to marriage were home purchases and securing lump-sum investment seed money.

Fixed incomes, savings, stocks and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) were among their potential choices.

These were goal-oriented compared to the others who said they would remain single. They prioritized amassing greater retirement savings and health and other insurance coverages. They were more willing to save for leisure, hobbies and personal interests.

The report showed that savings accounted for 42 percent of financial assets in 2022 during the COVID-19 pandemic but climbed to 45 percent the following year.

In 2022, their financial assets averaged 90 million won but topped 100 million won in 2024.

Young people's interest in investments grew over the past few years, as illustrated by a spike in financial- and banking app-mediated tradings and active daily users.

Many increased holdings in foreign currency products, including offshore stocks and dollar-denominated accounts.

Nine out of 10 consumers used mobile apps, with the ratio of those who had in-person visits to bank branches dropping to 31 percent over the past three years.

The use of ATMs has also decreased to 48 percent in 2024, down from 62 percent in 2022.

Over a third said they preferred online financial services, but 28 percent said they needed branches for in-person services.