Unfunded liabilities in pension funds are just as onerous as other kinds of debt. Such liabilities now total more than $2.5 …
social security
The Six Daunting Financial Problems Facing America
Solutions to the economic problems that the U.S. faces are unpalatable, and there’s a dangerous temptation to avoid dealing with fundamental issues.
Social Security Now Takes More Than it Gives
Social Security has reached another critical threshold: For the first time, a typical husband and wife retiring today can expect to collect less in benefits than it paid in payroll tax over the course of their life.
Retirement Savings: 11 Times Final Pay is the New Target
How much do you need to retire? It’s the cosmic question of our day and a new report from Aon Hewitt puts forth a simple answer. But this won’t be the last word on the subject.
Should All Young Americans Be Fiscal Conservatives?
Resources keep shifting to the elderly at the expense of the young, who will end up paying off a mountain of debt while their own standard of living is eroding.
Retirees Taking Early Social Security Benefits Hits 35-Year Low
Boomers have got the message: For most people, it makes sense to delay Social Security benefits to age 70 if possible. More made the choice to delay in 2011 than at any time since 1976. Here’s how you can afford to wait too.
The Future of Retirement? 401(k)s That Look Like Old-Fashioned Pensions
One of the biggest flaws in most people’s retirement plan is something that previous generations rarely worried about: monthly income guaranteed for life. But the fix is in, and before long your 401(k) may look a lot more like …
New From Social Security: Find Benefits Information Online
To save on costs, last year the government stopped mailing future Social Security benefits estimates to workers each year. Now that information is online. It’s a good starting place when planning your retirement.
60 and Still Not Out of Student Loan Debt: Seniors Facing $36 Billion in College Loans
Student loan debt is usually thought of as a young person’s problem. Those who earned their degrees in 2010 graduated with what was then a highest-ever average of $25,250 in student loans, and considering that education costs are …
Retirement Buster: It’s Your House, Not Your Portfolio
Retirement portfolios held up surprisingly well through the Great Recession. But housing declines made for the worst period in several generations for pre-retirees, a study finds.
Door Opens to Tax on IRA and 401(k) Gains
From the beginning, questions have swirled around the future tax standing of retirement savings. In an age of soaring deficits, would Congress really be able to keep its hands off hundreds of billions of dollars of tax-advantaged …
3 Ways to Know If You Can Retire
The concept of a practice retirement has been around for many years, and it has been especially topical since the Great Recession took a toll on so many nest eggs. But practicing retirement before you take the plunge isn’t just …
