“Because the average retirement length in the country is 18 years, we can project that the typical retiree will need an $828,000 nest egg to pay the bills upon leaving the workforce,” notes the author of today’s article. But if you find that number daunting, he proceeds to outline the major expenses one can expect to encounter in retirement and…
The difference between running a marathon race and preparing for retirement, the author of today’s article observes, is that “When you cross the finish line in a marathon, you know the race is over. But when you quit the workforce, it’s much harder to figure out whether you’ve successfully reached retirement.” So how can you get a good sense of…
Individuals tend to retire when the market (and their portfolio balances) are up. However, as today’s article observes, “even though people often retire after periods of strong market returns, that, somewhat counterintuitively, tends to reduce their portfolios’ sustainability rather than enhance it.” This is one of the five retirement-planning blind spots that can catch retirees off-guard that the author details.…
You’ve heard of black swan events (events which are extremely rare and hard to predict but which can have severe consequences), but what about white swan events? As today’s article explains, these events can be just as devastating to financial plans, but, despite the fact that they are more common and foreseeable than black swan events, people spend little time…
Thirty-four percent of workers who have calculated how much they need to save for retirement concluded their magic retirement number is $1 million – and the author of today’s article has some encouraging words for those striving to amass $1 million for retirement on modest salaries: “building your nest egg to that size can be easier than you expect…All you…
Calling it “a transformative science”, the author of today’s article outlines some of the ways in which “you and your employer and plan sponsors can hack your retirement” using the principles of behavioral economics – including how simply visualizing your future (older) self can help you boost your retirement savings and how, when it comes to 401(k) plans, it’s important…
Nearly 40% of U.S. consumers (and nearly 60% of millennials) see winning the lottery as a reasonable way to fund retirement, leading the author of today’s article to scoff that “You might as well bet on the tooth fairy paying off your credit card balance every month.” However, he also outlines how Americans’ lotto habit can actually help fund their…
Stress tests aren’t just for banks – they’re useful for retirement plans too! And a comprehensive stress test of your retirement plan involves more than just stress testing your portfolio: the author of today’s article advises that “you should stress test your venue, your retirement and income portfolios, and anticipated leisure pursuits.” For more on carrying out a comprehensive stress…
Strategies for accumulating wealth receive much more attention than strategies for decumulating wealth despite the fact that, as the author of today’s article points out, nowadays the decumulation phase of one’s life can be just as long as the accumulation phase. He also acknowledges problems with safe withdrawal strategies, including the fact that there’s a good chance you’ll end up…
He’s been called the Sam Spade of money management, the financial watchdog, and the pension detective. And now he’s warning that “We are on the precipice of the greatest retirement crisis in the history of the world”, with millions of elderly in the United States alone at risk of falling into poverty in the coming decades as a result of…