Investors' Four Personality Groups

Adapter: Like venturers, adapters believe life is within their control and are confident about their transition into retirement. But these investors also are less willing to embrace risky investments, with nearly half saying they're not comfortable taking chances with their savings. What's more, roughly half reported that change causes anxiety. "They're called adapters because they're good at changing when asked to change, but they don't seek change," says Prest.

Anchored: This group wants to keep the status quo. Anchored investors don't find change exciting. In fact, says Prest, the current financial crisis is a source of great anxiety for this group. "All they want to do is keep things the same," he says. "Their stress levels go through the roof when things change." But Prest notes that while these investors have mixed feelings about their transition into retirement, they're also the most likely to have developed and stuck with a solid retirement plan, generally a better strategy than flip-flopping from one plan to another.

Pursuer: Pursuers feel the least prepared for retirement of the four personalities, and aren't sure that outside help from an adviser or planner will help them reach their goals. Roughly two-thirds of pursuers believe life changes are outside of their control, according to the Transamerica survey. As a result, this group craves change and struggles to stick to one investing strategy. That hunt for something new is bad news when it comes to developing a solid retirement plan, according to Prest. "What pursuers need to do is work with an adviser, establish a game plan and stick to it," says Prest.