So much for the "golden years."

Some 28% of recent retirees complain that life is actually worse in retirement than it was when they were working, according to a recent survey by Nationwide.

The cause may be mismatched expectations. Pre-retirees tend to overestimate two factors that will be important to their wellbeing, the survey suggested: their future retirement income and their future health.

When either (or both) of these wind up falling short, disappointment ensues. About a quarter of recent retirees say their Social Security payment is less than they expected. And an even larger group — one third — say health problems are interfering with their retirement.Of those with health issues, the majority report their condition cropped up more than five years sooner than expected.