We heard from 1,000 older Americans: Here are some of their biggest regrets

• More than 1,000 older Americans shared their biggest regrets in life with Business Insider.

• These included not saving enough for retirement and taking Social Security benefits too early.

• Most older Americans are unable to absorb a financial shock, while millions can't afford daily needs.

Over 1,000 Americans between the ages of 48 and 90 told Business Insider their biggest regrets in life. Those insights show how perplexing retirement and planning for it can be.

Responses to an opt-in Business Insider reader survey, along with interviews with 20 respondents, show that preparing for retirement while juggling life's many obstacles is often a trial-and-error process. Many said they couldn't crack the code on balancing how much to save, where to invest, when to retire, and how to be fiscally responsible when raising a family. Others said they took Social Security too early or didn't pursue career opportunities that may have led to higher pay.

Janis Carroll, 79, said she was in the middle class for much of her life and made decent wages, but she is now struggling to live comfortably on about $25,000 in Social Security each year and $35,000 in savings.

Though she retired over a decade ago with enough to get by, she said not being more savvy with investing, moving too frequently, and draining an IRA account to buy a home she lost $50,000 on have contributed to her fears about the future. She's considered returning to work, but she's worried it would be too physically and mentally taxing.

"I don't have the money to go to the movies or go anywhere," said Carroll, who lives in Eugene, Oregon. "I have no idea what's going to happen to me if I'm going to have an emergency."

The median 55-year-old has less than $50,000 in retirement savings, according to a Prudential survey — which was conducted by Brunswick Group between April and May and interviewed 905 Americans ages 55, 65, and 75. According to the National Council on Aging and the LeadingAge LTSS Center, which analyzed the data of 11,874 households from the Health and Retirement Study, nearly 50% of Americans 60 or older say they have household incomes below what's necessary for meeting their basic needs.

To be sure, three in four retired Americans say they have enough money to live comfortably compared to less than half of non-retirees, according to a Gallup poll conducted in April which surveyed 1,001 people and was published in August.

Many respondents' regrets are partially out of their control, from a cancer diagnosis disrupting financial stability to an unexpected divorce or layoff.