(NAPS)—The Stanford Center on Longevity’s 2018 “Sightlines Report” found that baby boomers have accumulated less household wealth and carry more debt in comparison to previous generations of American retirees.
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A common decision that faces nearly all seniors at some point is when to begin “downsizing” for retirement. Many older Americans who have lived in the same house for decades eventually conclude they just don’t need as much room in retirement as they needed while raising their families — and in fact the extra space isn’t worth the expense and time required for its maintenance. The fact is that downsizing isn’t a concept limited to the size of your house or the amount of possessions sitting in boxes.
In previous generations, it was common for an American to land a job at a stable company, work for that same employer for decades, then retire one day with the proverbial gold watch and a nice pension to supplement their monthly Social Security checks.
(NAPSI)—Anyone who has ever seen a retirement account take a hit during a recession or stock market correction knows firsthand that it takes a mental and emotional toll. New research, however, has discovered that it also makes you sick.
A recent Harris Poll survey, conducted on behalf of Purchasing Power, found that 87 percent of American adults are at least somewhat stressed about their current finances, with nearly one in four (23 percent) indicating they have either “quite a bit” or “a great deal” of financial stress. In spite of the healthy U.S. economy, 39 percent of full-time employees revealed that their stress level has actually increased in the past 12 months.
The passage late last year of a new law that includes sweeping changes to the tax code — the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 — was welcome news to business executives, who saw their corporate tax rates cut significantly, and to many American consumers, most of whom will see more money in their paychecks as they pay lower federal income taxes this year.
After an unusually tranquil and steady climb higher in 2017, U.S. stock markets have reminded us this year of how volatile they can be at times. Dow Jones MarketWatch reported this month that so far in 2018, the S&P 500 stock index has gained or lost more than 1% in a single trading day on 32 days. One day that many retirees in particular can recall was February 5th, when the S&P 500 dropped more than 4% — a one-day negative swing that we had not experienced in nearly seven years.
The choice about where to live in retirement is one of the most crucial decisions that a senior makes. It’s not just a major financial consideration, it’s also a highly emotional issue as a retiree’s home is often the anchor to their golden years.
A life insurance policy is an important investment for consumers. We’re diligent about choosing a policy that seems to best meet our family’s needs and then we reliably make those required premium payments on time so we can keep the policy in-force as the years go by.
Preparing for retirement is a significant financial challenge during the working years, but the envisioned reward of enjoying stress-free golden years keeps most of us motivated to earn and save as best we can. Indeed, according to a story this week in the Wall Street Journal, “people at 65 to 74, the so-called time affluent, reported having more fun than any other age group,” according to a 2016 study by Age Wave and Merrill Lynch.
