Posts Tagged ‘retirement’
The Importance of Women Achieving Financial Confidence
The Importance of Women Achieving Financial Confidence Married or single, women are finding that taking an active role in their financial futures is critical. About 80% of married women outlive their husbands, and nearly half of all widows say they wish they’d been more involved in managing their finances when their spouse was alive.1 Whether…
Read MoreRetirement Planning During Changing Times
Retirement Planning During Changing Times According to the United Nations, across the globe, people older than 65 now outnumber children under five for the first time in history. In 1960, the average woman gave birth to five children in her lifetime; by 2017, that ratio had dropped to 2.4 children per woman. Meanwhile, our life…
Read MoreThe Growing Popularity of Annuities
The Growing Popularity of Annuities Annuities are nothing new; in fact, they’ve been around since Roman times, and maybe even before that.1 But they’re seeing a modern-day surge in popularity, fueled by pre-retirees and retirees concerned about stock market volatility and outliving their retirement income. The fixed annuity market experienced significant growth between 2017 and 2018,…
Read MoreRetirement Planning Challenges
Retirement Planning Challenges In 1985, only 10 percent of people aged 65 and older were either in the workforce or job hunting. Today, that share has doubled, for a couple of reasons. First, fewer 65-year-olds have enough money to retire. Second, the number of people in this demographic with a college degree has more than…
Read MoreRetirement Planning Tools
Retirement Planning Tools Here’s an interesting tidbit from the investment industry: In 2014, Merrill Lynch hired a gerontologist on staff – the first financial gerontologist of all time.1 Why? Because their financial advisors needed to learn how to plan for older people who are living longer than ever. The problems associated with this new era of…
Read MoreIRA Refresher
IRA Refresher In 2019, the IRS increased the limit on annual individual retirement account contributions to $6,000 from $5,500. The catch-up contribution for people ages 50 and up remained the same at $1,000.1 If you’re thinking about investing in an IRA or increasing your contribution, here’s some information to help you make your decision. A traditional…
Read MoreDecreasing Benefits Contribute to Retiree Bankruptcy
Decreasing Benefits Contribute to Retiree Bankruptcy For most of the 20th century, it was common for employers and unions to sponsor health care insurance for retired workers, which helped pay for some or all of Medicare’s cost-sharing requirements and deductibles. However, this trend reversed sharply in the mid-1990s. A survey by the Society for Human Resource…
Read MoreInterest Rate Watch
Interest Rate Watch In late September, the Federal Reserve raised its key short-term interest rate to 2.25 percent from 2.0 percent, in its third increase of the year.1 The good news is that higher rates offer the potential for higher returns on CDs, bank savings and other fixed-rated accounts that have been languishing…
Read MorePension vs. 401(k)
Pension vs. 401(k) Given a choice, which would you choose: a guaranteed fixed income for the rest of your life, or a lump sum tht you could invest? As it turns out, lots of people prefer a sure thing. This is what a recent survey showed about public sector employees posed with the option to…
Read MoreAnnuity Strategies
Annuity Strategies In a 2017 Nationwide Retirement Institute survey, financial advisors revealed some of the primary concerns of today’s pre-retirees, including maintaining their current lifestyle during retirement. These people also are less concerned with growing their assets; instead, they are focusing on drawing them down in a disciplined strategy without taking out too much too…
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