Category: financial security

2/5/2013 - In Blended Families, Responsibility Blurs

Research shows that the ties which lead adult children to become caregivers — depending on how much contact they have with parents, how nearby they live, how obligated they feel — are weaker in stepchildren. Money sometimes enters the equation too, if biological children resent a parent’s spending their presumed inheritance on care for an… Read more 2/5/2013 - In Blended Families, Responsibility Blurs

2/4/2013 - Delaying retirement? Have a backup plan

The economic downturn forced a sharp uptick in the number of middle-aged and older workers who say they plan to delay retirement. But if you’re one of those who intend to work longer to rebuild your depleted nest egg, make sure you have a backup plan. Read the full article at MarketWatch.

2/2/2013 - In Hard Economy for All Ages, Older Isn’t Better ... It’s Brutal

In the current listless economy, every generation has a claim to having been most injured. But the Labor Department’s latest jobs snapshot and other recent data reports present a strong case for crowning baby boomers as the greatest victims of the recession and its grim aftermath. Read the full article at The New York Times.

12/5/2012 - Generation Y looks far ahead, to retirement

When it comes to saving money, Generation Y is asking “why not?” Young people are discovering that the earlier they start saving for retirement and the longer they work, the larger the nest egg will be. And they are looking for ways to change their savings behavior accordingly. Read the full article at The Boston… Read more 12/5/2012 - Generation Y looks far ahead, to retirement

11/18/2012 - Forgetting Retirement: Most Americans Say They'll Keep Working

More than half of Americans have saved less than $250,000 for retirement, and many are pushing their retirement dates forward. Top concerns include rising health care costs, concern that their retirement assets will not last throughout their lifetime, and that they won’t be able to afford the lifestyle they desire during retirement, according to a… Read more 11/18/2012 - Forgetting Retirement: Most Americans Say They'll Keep Working

11/14/2012 - A 401(k) That Promises Never to Run Dry

WHILE anything resembling your father’s pension is unlikely to return, one large company has overhauled its 401(k) plan so workers can receive a paycheck for life. Like many large employers, United Technologies, based in Hartford, closed its traditional pension plan to new workers a couple of years ago. The retirement plan that replaced it tries… Read more 11/14/2012 - A 401(k) That Promises Never to Run Dry

11/11/12 – Child’s Education, but Parents’ Crushing Loans

When Michele Fitzgerald and her daughter, Jenni, go out for dinner, Jenni pays. When they get haircuts, Jenni pays. When they buy groceries, Jenni pays. It has been six years since Ms. Fitzgerald — broke, unemployed and in default on the $18,000 in loans she took out for Jenni’s college education — became a boomerang… Read more 11/11/12 – Child’s Education, but Parents’ Crushing Loans

10/30/2012 - The Risks of Tapping Your Retirement Fund for an Alternative Use

Retirement funds are being used increasingly for anything but retirement. Instead, 401(k)’s and individual retirement accounts are becoming money pots used to invest in business start-ups, speculate in gold and buy private equity investments. Such maneuvers come with big tax advantages. But they may also leave their users penniless in retirement, while their ability to… Read more 10/30/2012 - The Risks of Tapping Your Retirement Fund for an Alternative Use

10/27/2012 - What Medicare Will Cover Even if You’re Not Likely to Get Better

Should the federal government cover the costs of many kinds of treatments for patients who aren’t going to get any better? It didn’t, for many years. But after the settlement of a landmark class-action lawsuit this week, Medicare will soon begin paying more often for physical, occupational and other therapies for large numbers of people… Read more 10/27/2012 - What Medicare Will Cover Even if You’re Not Likely to Get Better

10/25/2012 - More Americans Delaying Retirement Until Age 80

As they struggle to save for retirement, a growing number of middle-class Americans plan to postpone their golden years until they are in their 80’s. Nearly one-third, or 30%, now plan to work until they are 80 or older — up from 25% a year ago, according to a Wells Fargo survey of 1,000 adults… Read more 10/25/2012 - More Americans Delaying Retirement Until Age 80