If you are still wondering whether we are in a “new normal” investment climate of ultra-low interest rates, wonder no more: Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke settled any lingering doubts last week when he guaranteed rates will stay near zero at least through the middle of 2015 — or until the jobless rate falls to [...] [...more]
The decline of defined benefit pensions in the private sector, along with rising reliance on 401(k) and IRA accounts, has left millions of Americans to answer a critical retirement planning question on their own: how to be confident they’ll have sufficient income support in retirement. Who better to answer the question than an actuary — [...] [...more]
How to generate reliable income in retirement? It’s becoming the new holy grail for the financial services industry in the wake of the 2008 crash. But if your workplace retirement plan is handled through a mutual fund, brokerage firm or bank, the retirement income solutions offered most often are simply strategies for decumulation of your [...] [...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]
The political turmoil and funding problems swirling around government pensions have prompted some readers to wonder whether they should just take the money and run. The question I’m hearing: If I’m near retirement, is it better to opt for a lump sum payment on the way out the door and leave behind all this noisy, [...] [...more]
