Just as the Trump MAGA (“Make America Great Again”) slogan is polarizing, so too are annuities. In fact, the author of today’s article observes that “the very financial tool that could save someone’s retirement journey so that they have income for life is the very tool that many hate.” Given the fear so many Americans have of running out of…
Most Americans are not saving sufficiently for retirement. But even those who have been diligent retirement savers during their working years may encounter difficulties when they reach retirement, with the author of today’s article cautioning that many in this financially fortunate group “find it hard to flip the switch from saving to spending.” For his advice on how ardent retirement…
Americans could require savings of anywhere from $666,000 to $2 million to retire, according to a recently released analysis. The key factor underlying this wide range? The state in which one chooses to retire, with the $666,000 figure representing the amount potentially needed to retire in Mississippi (the cheapest state to retire in) based on the estimated average annual expenditure…
The SECURE Act, which went into effect on January 1st, will change the way workers save for retirement, the way retirees spend down their retirement savings, and the way beneficiaries will receive money from inherited retirement accounts. But the various provisions of the SECURE Act aren’t the only ways that saving for retirement will change this year. As today’s article…
It’s “the cornerstone of retirement planning” – yet in a recent study, 92% of the American adults surveyed either demonstrated a lack of understanding of it or couldn’t even define what it was! What is this retirement-planning cornerstone? Fixed-income investing – and one portfolio manager cited in today’s article warns that “The lack of knowledge about fixed-income investing is a…
The author of today’s article – who is fortunate enough to have a pension – is concerned about the majority of Americans (including his own children) who are not so fortunate, and who will have to rely on Social Security and their investments to fund their retirements. His fear? “Even if these folks are saving regularly, they don’t really understand…
If you’re one of the (too) many Americans that have too little – or nothing at all – in the way of retirement savings, a simple strategy that could boost your savings by $800,000 (and possibly even more) sounds like something worth having a look at – and that’s exactly what the author of today’s article outlines. And while getting…
“Money and rationality don’t always mix…That’s especially true with retirement,” notes the author of today’s article. Just one example of many: The fact that nearly half of Americans claim Social Security benefits as soon as possible (age 62), foregoing a significantly larger benefit had they waited. Fortunately, insights from behavioral finance can help “nudge” individuals towards making more rational decisions…
The foundation of any retirement plan is the age at which we plan to retire. Unfortunately, as today’s article highlights, “that foundation isn’t nearly as solid as we think. We often systematically misjudge when we’ll actually retire, and that can wreak havoc on our finances.” What does a new study – which found that roughly half of Americans retire earlier…
The Great Recession of 2007-2009 devastated many Americans’ retirement savings – and a new study finds that an experience many Americans face can be almost as devastating: divorce. Specifically, researchers found that “Divorce pushes up an individual’s retirement risk by 7 percentage points, [while] the 2008 financial crisis added 9 points.” What are the numerous reasons the authors of the…