The following is reprinted from Who Do You Want to Be When You Grow Old?: The Path of Purposeful Aging with permission of Berrett-Koehler Publishers. Copyright © 2021 by Richard J. Leider and David A. Shapiro. This is a book by two old friends who have known each other for more than half of their lives. It is a book about a subject of which no one can claim absolute expertise, but which each of us learns a little bit more about every day. It is a book whose purpose is purpose. It is a book about how to grow old, with the emphasis on … [Read more...] about Who Do You Want to Be When You Grow Old? The Path of Purposeful Aging
Retirement
What Is Unretirement and How Will It Affect Future Generations of Workers?
As technological and medical advancements increase the average human lifespan, our society has had to re-evaluate its approach to the traditional work model and target retirement ages. In fact, a new survey conducted by Harris Poll for TD Ameritrade recently found that at least one-third of Americans aged 40 or older plan to continue working past the traditional retirement age of 65. There are also plenty people who retire for a while then return to the workforce a few years later. It’s worth noting that financial reasons aren’t always the … [Read more...] about What Is Unretirement and How Will It Affect Future Generations of Workers?
Why You Can’t Rely on Social Security for Retirement
Sooner than you think, there will come a time when you can no longer work. Perhaps you have grown too tired of the daily grind, or perhaps your fading health will prevent you from maintaining lasting employment. Regardless of the reason, you will need to retire. Unfortunately, most Americans aren’t adequately prepared for retirement. A 2019 study found that 64 percent of Americans lack sufficient retirement savings, and an astonishing 48 percent of them are apathetic about their lack of retirement plans. Many of these Americans believe … [Read more...] about Why You Can’t Rely on Social Security for Retirement
How Rising Healthcare Costs Can Frustrate Your Retirement Dreams
Although elderly people (ages 65 and older) only account for 16% of the current U.S. population, data from the Kaiser Family Foundation found this age group accounts for 36% of all healthcare spending in the U.S. each year. When you factor in people 55+ years old, this demographic comprises just 29% of the U.S. population but accounts for 56% of all healthcare spending. The fact that older people have more expensive, more frequent healthcare needs than younger people is no surprise, but it’s alarming to see just how much money quality … [Read more...] about How Rising Healthcare Costs Can Frustrate Your Retirement Dreams
Are Your Family’s Retirement Plans Fighting Each Other?
How many retirement accounts do you and your spouse have? Do you both have Roth IRAs and a 401k retirement plan at work? Or, old ones from a former job? You may find out after closer inspection that your separate plans do not mesh well with each other. In fact, you may find yourself poorly diversified with a lot of fund overlap if you are not too careful. You may want to add several checks to your annual investing portfolio rebalancing this year to synchronize your entire family’s retirement plans. Here are some things to … [Read more...] about Are Your Family’s Retirement Plans Fighting Each Other?
Should You Take Social Security Early After All?
One of the most common pieces of financial advice given to 50 and 60-somethings is that you should wait until you’re at least 65-67 to take out Social Security. However, new research from the Journal of Aging Studies found that seniors who had filed for Social Security benefits early expressed remarkable satisfaction with their decisions to file early (about 45% of the focus group respondents had filed at age 62; the rest filed before Full Retirement Age at 65-66 years old). This new study contradicts everything you might have heard about … [Read more...] about Should You Take Social Security Early After All?