Category: Financial Landing 2015

8/14/2015 - 13 Years Of American Credit Cards, In 1 Graph (NPR)

A few years back, there wasn’t that much variation on the rates that credit card companies offered consumers. If you had good credit, you probably paid 8 percent interest. If your credit wasn’t so good, you paid 16 percent. But eventually, card issuers became more sophisticated in their use of data, according to Ben Woolsey,… Read more 8/14/2015 - 13 Years Of American Credit Cards, In 1 Graph (NPR)

8/13/2015 - Gen X-ers, Baby Boomers Creating Cloudy Future with Added Debt

The new research shows that while living with debt has become the new norm, the stigma of being in debt has disappeared. Nearly half of both generations agree credit cards serve as a survival tool, while 43% agree, “lots of smart, hardworking people who are careful with spending also have a lot of credit card… Read more 8/13/2015 - Gen X-ers, Baby Boomers Creating Cloudy Future with Added Debt

8/12/2015 - Don’t be too generous with your retirement cash (MarketWatch)

In 2010, only about 4% of households with at least one member age 50 or above reported receiving cash transfers, including monetary gifts, loans or direct help paying bills, from their children or grandchildren over the previous two years. Meanwhile, up to 45% of older households reported giving money to their younger family members, according… Read more 8/12/2015 - Don’t be too generous with your retirement cash (MarketWatch)

8/11/2015 - More employers want workers to put off retirement (Benefits Pro)

Plan sponsors are making significant efforts to keep their older workers employed, according to new research from LIMRA Secure Retirement Institute. Eight in 10 employers said their organizations lose experience, institutional knowledge, and leadership when older workers are retired. That faith in seasoned workers is translating into action, as 92 percent of employer report taking specific… Read more 8/11/2015 - More employers want workers to put off retirement (Benefits Pro)

8/10/2015 - A lack of supply drives up housing prices (Marketplace)

Home prices in the U.S. have risen consistently for the last three years. By that measure, the housing market looks pretty good, but the prices are being driven by a severe lack of supply. And that’s discouraging for many buyers especially in some of the hottest, markets like Denver. The supply shortage is a problem… Read more 8/10/2015 - A lack of supply drives up housing prices (Marketplace)

8/10/2015 - Watchdog: Consumers More Responsible with Credit Card Debt (NPR)

According to the National Federation for Credit Counseling, only about one household in three now carries credit-card debt over from month to month. That’s a drop from 2009, the peak of the recession, when 44 percent of households carried credit card debt. Read the full article in NPR.   

8/8/2015 - You only get one shot at retirement: Plan accordingly (The Washington Post)

 A few things come up repeatedly when you ask retirees what they would do differently. One of the biggest regrets, of course, is not saving enough, especially when they were young. The power of compound interest is critical in retirement — you would have so much more in that retirement account had you been serious… Read more 8/8/2015 - You only get one shot at retirement: Plan accordingly (The Washington Post)

8/7/2015 - African Americans Continue to Grow in Affluence (Plan Adviser)

African Americans demonstrate continued optimism when it comes to finances, due to growing affluence, Prudential Financial found in its biannual “African American Financial Experience” report. However, many are not taking advantage of financial and investment tools, which may hinder long-term wealth accumulation. Two increasingly prevalent financial priorities for African Americans are maintaining their lifestyle in… Read more 8/7/2015 - African Americans Continue to Grow in Affluence (Plan Adviser)

8/6/2015 - Political Parties Splinter Over Social Security Reform (Forbes)

Today, the Social Security system is standing on a cliff, awaiting its fate. Its fate is tied to the fate of millions of Americans. Just next year, in 2016, the Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) fund is projected to be fully depleted. If nothing occurs between now and then, the Social Security system will jump… Read more 8/6/2015 - Political Parties Splinter Over Social Security Reform (Forbes)

8/5/2015 - Is Student Debt Really Keeping Millennials from Growing Up? (Time)

Young adults with student debt are postponing life events like buying a home or car, getting married, and having babies at higher rates than other age groups did, according to a new survey. Overall, 45% of respondents who ever had student loan debt said they had put off life events because of it. For borrowers… Read more 8/5/2015 - Is Student Debt Really Keeping Millennials from Growing Up? (Time)