Retirement

The FBI’s investigation into alleged false investment performance at the $67 billion Pennsylvania Public School Employees’ Retirement System may suggest law enforcement is finally focused upon public pension shenanigans. That’s not likely. If you want to understand how pension looters and high-level investment scammers frequently escape prosecution, begin with studying the legal and regulatory structure

“I am more concerned about the return of my money than the return on my money,” said Mark Twain. The famed author of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn “ranked among the highest-paid authors in 19th century America,” and married into wealth as well, yet he proved even more adept at losing money, through venture capital and

The internet can be quite a useful yet massively confusing place. Searching for instructional videos on saving for retirement with an Individual Retirement Account (IRA) generates more than 450,000 hits. That is a lot of information. It is also way too much information for people who have regular jobs as hair dressers, dentists, home care

A recent report from the United Nations warns that we’re running out of time to avoid catastrophic worldwide disruptions from global warming. The U.N. report describes the science confirming the evidence that many of us have been experiencing first-hand—extreme temperatures, droughts, wildfires, and flooding.   While it’s understandable to feel helpless in the face of such

Regular readers know that one of my pet peeves are legislation names with too-clever acronyms, and the WISH Act is pure cringe, on this metric: it’s the Well-Being Insurance for Seniors to be at Home Act, introduced by Rep Tom Suozzi (D-NY) at the beginning of July. Its objective is to create a new federal

It is time to change the rules: If you want to work around vulnerable older adults. You must be vaccinated. For their safety. For yours. And for the safety of your own family. Eight months after the vaccine was made widely available to health care workers, only about 60 percent of nursing home staff has

By Constance Brossa, Next Avenue When it comes to helping people work out, Shannan Schaffer is in perpetual beast mode. The former flight attendant taught her first indoor cycle class at a YMCA in Charlotte, N.C. 31 years ago. She’s still at it. “Pedaling to nowhere is my calling,” says Schaffer, who’s in her late 50s,

By Craig Miller, Next Avenue A few years ago, Lee Hilliard and his wife Linda, of Manchester, Conn., were torn over what to do with their investment portfolio. The 72-year-old retired media consultant and his wife, who’s 64, had come into some Chevron CVX shares from Linda’s inheritance in 2016 and then again after her mother

Until now, the Biden Administration and congressional Democrats have focused on Medicaid’s home-based long-term care program. This week, powerful Hill Democrats turned their attention to nursing homes. And they are offering a tough bargain: More funding in exchange for significant staffing reform. They also are proposing a major federal initiative to encourage the development of

With a couple of months of inflation data yet to be seen, it looks like those collecting Social Security are in store for a significant increase in 2022. The most recent Consumer Price Index (CPI) announcement for the month of June revealed a 5.4% annual rate, and the Senior Citizens League estimates the final number

Inflation has been in the news more than usual, as we have seen spikes in the inflation rates during the COVID pandemic. Recent Consumer Price Index (CPI) data has led to an estimated 6.2% Social Security cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for 2022, which could be the most significant cost-of-living adjustment to Social Security benefits in decades.

Yes, COVID-19 makes the advice to work longer in old age a cruel suggestion since older workers were hardest hit in the 2020 recession. But it isn’t just COVID-19 that makes it difficult, the labor market has been forcing older workers out for years. The obsession with telling people to work longer because they don’t have

Despite the pandemic, many Gen Z’ers are graduating from college and setting their course for success. This is a generation of young people who know what they want out of life and have the financial literacy tools – from podcasts to online platforms – to save for retirement, maximize their savings and achieve their goals.  

By Richard Eisenberg, Next Avenue Editor We’ve all seen how Olympic gymnast extraordinaire Simone Biles has been struggling with mental health issues, causing her to drop out of events at the games and performing the work she loves. Financial therapist Joyce Marter, author of the intriguing new book “The Financial Mindset Fix,” says our mental health

In Marin County CA, where we have life expectancies greater than for most people in the US, even here, one stands out. She’s the county’s oldest resident, Pauline Angleman, 112 years old. She has been studied, celebrated, interviewed, honored by President and Michelle Obama and she continues to amaze doctors. One of them studying her,

A little over four years ago, it occurred to me that my wife Jet and I had essentially experienced what modern physics would tell us is not possible: At the very moment that my wife and I were enjoying the scenery during our relaxing, unhurried walk with our dogs, the hard water stains in our

Deferred compensation plans have become an integral way to save for retirement. They typically come in two general forms. The first is a qualified deferred compensation plan that is governed by ERISA rules, which include the more familiar 401(k) and 403(b) plans. The second is less common and technically known as a non-qualified deferred compensation

State treasurers around the nation are spearheading efforts to improve financial literacy. While they may have different experiences or motivations for their efforts to impact positive change, they all agree that more needs to be done to improve people’s financial knowledge and change consumption habits. The efforts of these elected officials, while commendable, fail to

July was a productive month for the IRS when it came to getting payments to taxpayers. Yet frustration continues to bubble for those who are still awaiting their refunds from tax returns that have not yet been processed. Unemployment Adjustments The IRS announced on July 28 that another 1.5 million taxpayers were receiving refunds averaging

By Kerry Hannon, Next Avenue Here’s the latest discouraging news for older job applicants: Hiring managers around the world have serious concerns about the abilities of people 45+ to learn new technologies and skills and to work with other generations, even though when they hire them, 87% of those employees perform as well, or better, than colleagues