Our daily roundup of retirement news your clients may be thinking about.
Gen Xers joined the workforce when companies no longer offer traditional pension, but they will be better prepared than baby boomers when they retire, according to this article on Time Money. It's because Gen Xers can save in their 401(k) plans for a longer period of time compared with baby boomers, and can expect higher tax-deferred investment growth. Both generations have bleak retirement prospects but Gen Xers have more years to contribute to their 401(k) plans and subsequently reduce the risk of not having enough savings, according to the Employee Benefit Research Institute. Time Money
Wyoming, Colorado and Utah lead the best states for people to retire, according to a study by Bankrate. The states were ranked according to factors such as local weather, cost of living, tax burden and senior well-being. "Warm weather may be an initial draw, but all the sunny days in the world won't make you happy if you're constantly stretching your budget or don't have access to quality health care," said Chris Kahn, a research and statistics analyst with Bankrate.com. CBS Moneywatch
Investing too much in a single country is a wrong move, so investors are advised to include stocks from different countries, according to this article on MarketWatch. International stocks are also a good option because the best global asset classes reflect the best domestic asset classes and these stocks outperform U.S. stocks for long periods. There are unhedged international funds that have currency diversification, multinational stocks don't offer international exposure, and more than 50% of the world's market capitalization is overseas. MarketWatch
A survey by Employee Benefit Research Institute and Greenwald and Associates found that 28% of workers have less than $1,000 in savings, according to this article on CNBC. This may explain why 58% of respondents say they need to improve their financial planning and 21% are not confident that they could achieve their financial targets, according to a study by Northwestern Mutual. However, 34% failed to act to address the situation, the study says. "Intentions only get us so far. And when the stakes are high, it's taking action that's critical," Northwestern Mutual's Rebekah Barsch said in a statement. CNBC
A 68-year-old client who is working part-time is allowed to suspend his Social Security retirement benefits until he turns the age of 70, according to this article on Forbes. The benefits he will collect when he reaches 70 will be 16% higher after inflation. Forbes
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