8/20/2013 - Women Shortchanged In Retirement Earnings

The American workforce is graying. And while many people aren’t saving enough for retirement, that’s especially true for women. Guest host Celeste Headlee speaks with reporter Paul Solman and aging specialist Helen Dennis, about a gender gap in retirement earnings. Read the full article at National Public Radio (NPR).

8/20/2013 - Retirement ticker tracks federal loss of institutional knowledge

Forty-six days of experience every second. That’s how much institutional knowledge disappears from the government every second because of federal-worker retirements, according to a new ticker from the National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association. The retirement wave is not unique to the federal government. The number of Americans aged 65 years or older will… Read more 8/20/2013 - Retirement ticker tracks federal loss of institutional knowledge

8/19/2013 - The income annuity puzzle: Why don't more people use them? (Reuters)

Economists have long argued that there’s a perfect financial product for retirement: the humble immediate income annuity. It’s a straightforward proposition: Fork over a big chunk of cash to an insurance company, which starts sending a monthly check when you retire – or later. The cash keeps coming as long as you live. Read the… Read more 8/19/2013 - The income annuity puzzle: Why don't more people use them? (Reuters)

8/16/2013 - Are We Headed to Mandatory Retirement Savings Accounts? (ThinkAdvisor)

The U.S. retirement system of Social Security supplemented by private retirement savings is often thought to be in crisis,  because of questions about the solvency of the former and the adequacy of the latter. But the U.S. approach is not the only way — Australia and Chile, for example, have high mandatory contribution rates of… Read more 8/16/2013 - Are We Headed to Mandatory Retirement Savings Accounts? (ThinkAdvisor)

8/19/2013 - To Solve The U.S. Retirement Crisis, Look To Australia

imagine living in a country where all employees are covered by an employer-sponsored retirement plan. Where the government equivalent of Social Security is generous. Where people don’t tap their retirement funds early, as many Americans do, running the risk of depleting their savings. Where the savings rate is 10%. Say G’day to Australia. Read the full article… Read more 8/19/2013 - To Solve The U.S. Retirement Crisis, Look To Australia

8/16/2013 - Many Americans are confused by 401(k) retirement plans (LA Times)

Americans rely heavily on 401(k)s to fund their hoped-for retirements, but many people find the plans bewildering and aren’t sure they’re making the right investment choices. That’s the upshot of a new survey by Charles Schwab Corp., which found that people know they need 401(k)s even if they aren’t always sure what to do with… Read more 8/16/2013 - Many Americans are confused by 401(k) retirement plans (LA Times)

8/16/2013 - One Dip Into a 401(k) Often Leads to Another (New York Times)

Some people can’t seem to stop at just one. After workers borrow money from their 401(k) retirement account, they may find that it becomes easier to come back for another loan — and perhaps even another. And yet another one after that. Read the full article at the New York Times.

8/18/2013 - Can we predict Alzheimer's a decade before symptoms?

Studying cadavers, researchers at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles made an interesting observation: The amount of beta amyloid protein in the brain corresponded closely to the amount of that same protein in the retina, in the very back of the eye. A reliable eye test “would be a very important contribution,” says Maria Carrillo,… Read more 8/18/2013 - Can we predict Alzheimer's a decade before symptoms?

8/16/2013 - Study identifies new culprit that may make aging brains susceptible to neurodegenerative diseases

The steady accumulation of a protein in healthy, aging brains may explain seniors’ vulnerability to neurodegenerative disorders, a new study by researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine reports. Read the full article at Stanford School of Medicine.

8/14/2013 - How an aging nation affects job numbers (Wall Street Journal)

A recent Goldman Sachs study focused attention on the impact of population aging on labor force participation.  The authors had a much more ambitious goal than the simple point that I would like to emphasize.  They were trying to determine whether the sharp decline in the labor-force participation rate (the percentage of the working population… Read more 8/14/2013 - How an aging nation affects job numbers (Wall Street Journal)