Many myths may be relatively innocuous, but when you are making retirement-planning decisions based on myths the consequences can be dire. As such, today’s article identifies five “pervasive retirement myths Americans must stop believing” and seeks to counter them with a dose of reality. What do the majority of studies say about whether spending increases or decreases in retirement? Is…
It may be a nice place to visit, but do you want to live there (in retirement)? Today’s article provides some cautions and considerations for those wishing to join the ranks of retirees living abroad from Dan Prescher, the senior editor for retirement lifestyle magazine International Living. How long does Prescher advise spending on the ground in your foreign retirement…
“Even if you were an incredibly well-informed investor and paid a great deal of attention, it’s very hard to succeed in this system.” This is the assessment of law professor William A. Birdthistle, who has penned a new book on the perceived failures of the United States’ do-it-yourself retirement system, specifically mutual funds and 401(k)s. To read what Birdthistle sees…
The United States is not #1 when it comes to retirement security – in fact it failed to even crack the top 10 on the recently released 2016 Natixis Global Retirement Index, which assessed and ranked 43 countries on the retirement security of their residents. Instead, the U.S. ranked “a middling No. 14, right after Luxembourg and several notches below…
“A good sign that people aren’t saving enough [for retirement] is if they run out of money once they’re retired. But that’s not happening,” points out today’s article which focuses on the finding that, despite the constant drumbeat of concern that Americans aren’t saving enough for retirement, wealth actually appears to increase for most retiree households over the course of…
While today’s article takes the position that stocks should still be a major part of the investment strategies of retirees, it acknowledges that “certain stocks work better in retirees’ portfolios than others.” As such, the three contributors each highlight one of their favorite stocks for retirement. To read more about these stocks – which include a real estate investment trust…
With it being so often repeated that the key to a secure retirement is to start saving early and put enough into your 401(k) to get your employer’s match, today’s article argues that many investors are overlooking (or underutilizing) another important savings tool – health savings accounts: “According to some advisors, HSAs are also the Holy Grail of savings vehicles…
Everyone loves surprises – but not when you are a retiree and the surprise is the size of your Social Security check. Today’s article cites a recent survey which found that, for 29 percent of retirees, their benefit ended up being less or much less than expected. Moreover, the survey found that many pre-retirees are simply guessing as to how…
Earlier this month a commission charged with devising a plan to strengthen the retirement security and personal savings of Americans released its report – and today’s article outlines how “a lot of high income earners are going to hate it”. The 146-page report from the Bipartisan Policy Center “includes revamps of everything from 401(k) plans to reverse mortgages to tax…
“Companies are willing to concede quite a bit – but people need to know what retirement benefits to ask for and how to ask,” states today’s article, which examines the biggest mistakes people make when it comes to negotiating a retirement package. From approaching negotiations as a battle rather than as “a collaborative conversation”, to focusing on money at the…