A digest of timely information and insight about finance, investing and retirement.
States Tackle America’s Retirement-Savings Shortfall | Total Return Blog, Wall Street Journal
State legislatures across the nation are looking for ways to encourage more Americans to save for retirement, in hopes of avoiding public assistance down the road for retirees with insufficient savings. With more than half of working Americans having no retirement coverage at work, the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College “calculates that 53% of working-age households are at risk of being unable to maintain their pre-retirement standard of living” in retirement.
Generation X Most at Risk Financially | PlanSponsor
As a generation, Gen Xers (ages 35 to 49) have the poorest financial habits according to a new study of Americans that looked at financial planning and savings. With more “spenders” than “savers” compared to other generations, 37 percent of Gen X adults “do not at all feel financially secure” and 18 percent believe they will never retire.
Rewriting the American Dream | Squared Away Blog, Center for Retirement Research at Boston College
Having enough money in the bank to retire is the top indicator of financial success, according to 28 percent of U.S. adults in a survey sponsored by the American Institute of CPAs. Sending kids to college without having to borrow to pay for it was second (23 percent) with homeownership and upward mobility each a distant third (11 percent).
Pension program changes hurt economy, NCPERS report warns | Pensions & Investments
Shifting from defined benefit to defined contribution plans and other pension program changes might be widening the income gap and hindering economic growth, according to a new report from the National Conference on Public Employee Retirement Systems.
Defined benefitAlso known as a pension, this is a type of pooled retirement plan in which the plan promises to pay a lifetime benefit to the employee at retirement. The plan manages investments on behalf of members, and the retirement benefit is based on factors such as age at retirement, years of employment and salary history.Defined contributionA type of individual retirement plan in which an employee saves a portion of each paycheck (along with a potential employer match) and invests that money. The employee’s retirement benefit is based on their account balance at retirement. A 401(k) is a type of defined contribution plan.
