Retirement

Many of us in families with aging loved ones have had brushes with a mentally ill family member. As our medical system for addressing and treating mental illness is is clearly broken, the worst effects of these illnesses can wreak havoc as the parents age. When chronic mental illness is present, things can get frightening

In a letter to investors, Larry Fink, who is CEO of the massive investment firm Blackrock, warned that retirement “is a much harder proposition than it was 30 years ago. And it’ll be a much harder proposition 30 years from now.” One reason, he says: “As a society, we focus a tremendous amount of energy

There is a right and wrong age when it comes to filing for Social Security benefits. The key to determining the right age for you is accurately analyzing your situation, understanding all your claiming options, and deciding which strategy is the best for you in relation to your overall financial planning. Never make this decision

The Federal Reserve recently released new household data in two related data sources that tell an encouraging story about household wealth and its distribution. Household wealth has substantially increased during the pandemic – from December 2019 to December 2023. All income groups have seen similar rates of change in their wealth. Those gains reflect broad

John Bogle once said index funds would never compromise more than half of the total mutual fund market. That was years ago. Morningstar MORN recently reported the total value of passively managed funds has surpassed actively managed mutual fund assets. Some are expecting index funds to top 70% of total mutual fund assets within the

John Bogle once said index funds would never compromise more than half of the total mutual fund market. That was years ago. Morningstar MORN recently reported the total value of passively managed funds has surpassed actively managed mutual fund assets. Some are expecting index funds to top 70% of total mutual fund assets within the

My friend and occasional sparring partner Teresa Ghilarducci Tweeted out her most recent op-ed with the subtitle, “Andrew Biggs is wrong about America’s retirement crisis.” As long as they spell your name right, I guess. If only it were so, for Teresa’s sake and for the Senator her op-ed defends, Vermont’s Bernie Sanders. Because it

When a billionaire corporate executive and Senator Bernie Sanders agree on something, it’s worth paying attention. If they had a cozy lunch, there would be more dessert forks than pitched forks. In public, both Sanders and BlackRock BLK CEO Larry Fink agree — America is facing an increasingly urgent “retirement crisis” that must be addressed

As the owner of one of the leading companies that moves household goods to Mexico, in addition to being asked about the procedure for importing household goods, I get asked all sorts of questions about what it’s like to live in Mexico, such as: What’s the weather like? Answer: Hot at the beach in the

I was 49 the first time I retired. After nearly 25 years in practice, I turned in my fountain pen at my law firm. Two years later, I retired again when I sold an online business I had built on the side. I retired a third time in 2020 as the Founding Editor of Forbes

The one consistency in the US labor market has become burnout. Between long hours, uncertain financial futures and a general lack of resources, workers of all ilk show signs that they’re tired. In self-employment, the threat can become even greater since you’re managing both the business and often creating the income flow through the work

There are people who change your life because of their proximity to you and yours—and then there are those who change your life without you even knowing they exist. Regardless of which of those categories Daniel Kahneman fits into for you, he’s changed your life, just as surely as he has demonstrably changed mine. Kahneman,

One of the most important and difficult questions to answer in retirement is how much you can spend each year without going broke. The most popular answer to this question is what is known as the 4% rule. From a 1994 paper written by Certified Financial Planner Bill Bengan, here’s how it works. In the

Recently I wrote about the new Robinhood Gold Card. It pays 3% cash back on all purchases, making it one of the most valuable rewards credit cards available today. As I noted in the article, however, to qualify you must be a Robinhood Gold member, which costs $50 a year if paid annually. So what’s

In recent weeks, a series of sensational headlines have captured the public’s attention, casting doubt on the future of 401(k) retirement plans. Headlines like “Your 401(k) Might Retire Before You Do” and “To Save Social Security, They May Come For Your 401(k)” have contributed to a sense of unease among investors and future retirees. The

JP Morgan Asset Management recently released its 2024 Guide to Retirement. The guide attempts, among other things, to answer two important questions for those saving for retirement. First, it looks at how much one should have already saved for retirement based on their age and income. Second, it examined what percentage of income one should

Talk about denial. Someone made up a ridiculous story about aging, that it’s merely a number, implying that it means nothing. This myth appears frequently in the media, in ads, in stories and sometimes in fake conversations. What is ridiculous about it is that aging is a process. Whatever one’s age, including the elders in

Time to Get to Know the Saver’s Credit The Saver’s Credit (aka the Retirement Savings Contributions Credit) helps lower to middle income taxpayers to reduce their taxes when they contribute to an employer retirement plan or a traditional or Roth individual retirement account. The vehicle is a nonrefundable tax credit, the amount being based on

Most Americans realize that inflation in the U.S. recently spiked to its highest level since the early 1980s. Moreover, what we pay for food is an important part of total inflation. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, food prices account for 13.5% of the relative importance of the total index. We see the high

As retirement looms, individuals must transition from an accumulation and asset-centric mindset to one focused on income and reliable cash flow. This shift from savings to decumulation is often discussed mostly in terms of 401(k)s and IRAs, but it really applies across asset classes and account types – including one’s primary residence. For many Americans,