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Given a choice, which would you choose: a guaranteed fixed income for the rest of your life, or a lump sum that 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 select a defined…
The National Bureau of Economic Research recently explored how continued low returns can influence saving, investing and retirement behaviors. According to the report, diminished returns tend to motivate people to save more in non-retirement accounts and less in their 401(k)s, alter their investment allocations, and even delay retirement and claiming Social Security benefits.1 While recent…
The Indexed Annuity Leadership Council recently published a report that included a scoring mechanism for how “retirement ready” Americans are based on job status. “White-collar workers” rated just below 50 percent in terms of retirement readiness, while “blue- and gray-collar workers” were somewhat lower, at 44.7 percent.1 Another recent report on retirement readiness was published…
The first half of 2018 went well in terms of market performance and economic growth. In fact, the second longest-running bull market in U.S. stock market history managed to weather a few bumps and bruises to climb even higher. That’s the good news. 1 The bad news are the expected near-term headwinds that could change the…
Sixty-three percent of surveyed affluent adult children between the ages of 18 and 22 say they’ll need to rely on their inheritance for financial security during retirement. Before the inevitable groan about the entitlement of youth, bear in mind that today’s young adults do have different financial challenges than in past generations. 1 It used to…
There’s a never-ending stream of political news these days, but the stock market has remained relatively resilient. The market successfully weathered potential distractions that may have been detrimental in previous years, but that calm may end as as there have been ongoing discussions about tariffs with global trade partners.1 In the past, the presidential power…
The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act was meant to kickstart the economy with growth not seen in a decade. Six months in, the results are a bit lackluster. Business investment has increased only slightly throughout the last year (excluding oil and gas, which are highly volatile).1 This begs the question — how much impact do…
Retirement planning looks much different than it did a century ago. With lifespans and retirements lasting longer, it’s not just about planning for a financial future; we must also create a post-career strategy that takes into account emotional, intellectual and quality of life challenges during later years. After all, we don’t just stop enjoying life…
Fueled by more plentiful jobs, the U.S. residential real-estate market is skyrocketing. In some areas, particularly major metropolitan cities, buyers are struggling to either find or afford a home. Those lucky enough to find the right place have to move quickly — gone are the days of extensive deliberation on whether a house fits every…
The income gap between the wealthy and the poor is widening in the U.S.1 Why does that matter? Because there are studies that indicate a wide swathe of income differentiation is not good for economic growth. In the years following the Great Recession, we often heard how slowly the economy was recovering. That was true for…