More Australians are prepared for retirement than their United States counterparts, according to research from Putnam Investments Australia and the Portfolio Construction Forum.

The Australian Retirement of Retirement Survey, conducted last month, showed less than 25 per cent of advisers' retired clients needed to supplement their retirement income by returning to work.

This compared to 35 per cent of American retirees polled in an equivalent 2006 survey carried out by Putnam.

"All told, 75 per cent of [Australian] advisers believe their clients will achieve their retirement goals, although these seem modest," Boston-based Putnam director of market planning and development Beth Segers said.

The American survey also showed 30 per cent of American workers over the age of 45 did not believe that they would be properly financed to live comfortably through their retirement years.

"While Australia has the benefit of the compulsory superannuation system, this alone cannot account for the higher level of retirement preparation in Australia," Segers said.

She said over half of Australian advisers surveyed reported their clients had topped up super fund's compulsory contributions by adding an additional 10 per cent or more of their gross salary.

"Nearly all [Australian] advisers said their clients had postponed larger purchases to save for retirement. In comparison, only 30 per cent of Americans have decided to avoid expenditure in order to save for retirement. 

"This ranges from not buying a new TV or sound system, to cutting back the number of coffees bought on the way to work."

The Australian report also showed that many advisers pointed to estate-planning as one of the issues they would like to discuss with clients. 

Also on the list of potential trouble spots were portfolio construction, super strategies and aged care.