We’ve all seen the studies – one seems to land on my desk once or twice a week. “Americans are living longer.” “Fewer have defined benefit pensions.” “The value of Social Security is shrinking.” “Boomers don’t have enough money to retire comfortably.” “A retirement crisis is looming.” Just a couple recent data points: –Working American [...] [...more]
When Harvey and Cora Alter decided to move away from Washington, D.C., for their retirement, friends were surprised to hear where they were going. The Alters weren’t even crossing a state line. They would move just 30 miles north of Rockville, Maryland, where they had raised two daughters, to Frederick — a town of about [...] [...more]
Back when the housing market was soaring, many Americans thought of their homes as piggy banks that they could crack open at will, whether for renovating a kitchen or funding a retirement. The Great Recession put an end to that party, and in most of the country the housing market has yet to return to [...] [...more]
I remember the suburbs of the 1950s and 1960s as a kid’s paradise. Every block was filled by young families with children, and the neighborhood was our playground. The kids from that era are still in the suburbs — but now we’re in our 50s and 60s. And that’s creating major challenges — and opportunities [...] [...more]
The housing bust horror flick is now giving way to a very unwelcome sequel: a big squeeze on the cost of renting. The number of renters paying more than half of their income towards rent has hit record levels, according to a new study by the Joint Center for Housing Studies (JCHS) of Harvard University. [...] [...more]
