The Republican Party has staged a mind-numbing 18 presidential debates this year, and more questions and answers lie ahead as the primaries and general election get into high gear in the new year. The future of Social Security and Medicare will be central issues in the 2012 election. The ongoing debate about income inequality also [...] [...more]
The market’s recent volatility has put new focus on a key question older investors have been asking themselves since the 2008 crash: what is the correct retirement portfolio equity exposure for investors close to retirement, or who already are retired? Ask the experts, and you’ll get answers that are all over the map. The Putnam [...] [...more]
A growing body of research suggests that our ability to make sound financial decisions declines sharply with age. Roughly half of adults in their 80s suffer from dementia or cognitive decline that impacts financial management skills, according to David Laibson, an economics professor at Harvard University and co-author of a research report with three other [...] [...more]
My column this month at Registered Rep magazine’s website explains how the new health reform law impacts retirement planning. It’s mostly good news, although high-income retirees face higher Medicare premiums. The story explains improvements in Medicare’s prescription drug benefit, how pre-65 retirees will gain important new coverage options, how Health Savings Accounts figure in the [...] [...more]
Saving and investing for retirement is tough enough. But making a plan to spend your nest egg is an equally critical challenge. Most Americans don’t have a “decumulation” plan–that is, how much to draw down from savings and when. A majority of pre-retirees (over age 55) can’t identify a “rule of thumb” for an appropriate [...] [...more]
