What does it mean to be retired in the United States? The age of disappearing pensions, dependence on Social Security, and stock market speculation.
A few days ago the stock market experienced a mini panic as someone hacked a reputable news source Twitter account and posted a sensational headline. The markets quickly reacted to this news. What was troubling is many algorithm-based trading systems are setup to scour internet information for these kinds of dramatic changes. Many of the [...]
New Retirement Model of Working into Old Age – Baby Boomers hitting retirement age with little to no savings.
The fiscal issues facing the country are troubling for a variety of reasons but one big reason is the reality that many older Americans simply do not have enough money to retire. The idea of entering your golden years without the need of working is a relatively modern one. In fact, it was the generation [...]
Retirement means having to work in current economy – new survey shows 34 percent of workers in their 60s do not plan on retiring. The hunger for higher yields in a weak stock market.
The chase for yield is causing money to flow into unlikely places in the market. The low performance market has taken a toll on retirement planning models for millions of Americans nearing retirement age. Many of the models were built on the assumption that stock market gains would return 7 to 10 percent annual gains [...]
A clash of generations – 1 out of 6 Americans receiving Social Security benefits. A larger share of workforce dominated by older Americans.
The bill is coming due. A stunning 61,000,000+ Americans receive Social Security, Supplemental Security Income, or both. Add another 46,000,000+ Americans on food assistance and you begin to see why we are running on borrowed time on a variety of fronts. With Social Security, working Americans are taxed for current retirees. This works when you [...]
Saying goodbye to the middle class concept of retirement – many workers plan to work up until they are 80 well beyond the typical life expectancy of Americans. How long will $25,000 last in retirement?
The romantic concept of being able to retire on a sunny beach with endless drinks is a modern notion largely pushed by mainstream advertising. It is hard for many middle class Americans to imagine a world where retirement is a luxury for the very few. However that is the path we are now following. The [...]
Retirees face a perilous financial decade ahead – Over 30 percent of workers have less than $1,000 saved for retirement. Defined-benefit plans down to 20 percent from over 60 percent in 1983.
While financial institutions can rearrange assets and play around with accounting rules modifying reality the progression of age is hitting millions of Americans. There is no pause button when it comes to growing old. Recent surveys are highlighting a very challenging road ahead for retirees. A survey released by the Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI) [...]
The Coming Demographic and Financial Disaster – Median income of Americans 65+ is $19,167. What happens when less affluent youth move back home and clash with older generations?
What happens when a society that prides itself on a middle class and self-sufficiency suddenly starts losing both? For over a decade the middle class in the US has been shrinking. This isn’t some speculation but is reflected in the stagnant household income data. You also have a giant demographic train in that many baby [...]
Welcome to the new model of retirement. No retirement. In 1983 over 60 percent of American workers had some kind of defined-benefit plan. Today less than 20 percent have access to a plan and the majority of retired Americans largely rely on Social Security as their de facto retirement plan.
As many Americans enter into retirement they are realizing one unfortunate thing. The new retirement plan is no retirement at all. Over the last few decades Americans were promised the idea of a comfortable retirement yet none of this has materialized because of financial swindling and a real estate bubble that will go down in [...]
The Retirement fantasy – middle class Americans are quickly realizing that a secure retirement future may only be a myth. Stagnant income, debt illusion, and the future outlook for working Americans.
Americans are having a tougher time finding extra disposable income to save and create wealth. It is hard to plan for the future when you are worrying about having enough money to purchase a couple of frozen meals. When looking at overall statistics we rarely get a glimpse at how tough things have become for [...]
Financial trends of the new American economy – Higher educated workforce with harder time finding and keeping jobs, median retirement account for Americans at $2,000, global stock market growth, and housing bust covering up inflation in other areas.
The Great Recession is revealing some fundamental challenges in our economy. One of those challenges revolves around the exceedingly expensive college degree and its ability to translate into employment. As a percent many more American’s have a bachelor’s degree today than say in 1992 yet unemployment for college educated Americans is at modern record highs. [...]
