October 2024

Average amount needed for retirement increases by 60 per cent

The average amount needed for a basic retirement has increased by 60 per cent in the past three years, with savers becoming increasingly worried about their financial future as a result, Shepherds Friendly has found. The survey revealed that 38 per cent of respondents regretted not saving enough into their pension, while 39 per cent regretted not saving into a pension. Meanwhile, 56 per cent expressed regrets over not saving more when they were younger, while other regrets included not investing money...

US. Here’s How Gen Xers Are Catching Up on Retirement Savings

Key Takeaways The oldest Gen Xers are already eligible to withdraw from retirement accounts penalty-free. Gen Xers are often underprepared for retirement but can improve by increasing savings and adjusting their budget. Unlike baby boomers with pensions, Gen X relies heavily on 401(k)s. During their highest earning years, Gen Xers can maximize retirement savings. Roth IRAs and 401(k)s can offer tax advantages for Gen Xers in retirement. Sandwiched between the more populous boomer generation and even more populous Millennials, Gen...

September 2024

The Future of Retirement Security An International Comparison through the Lens of Adequacy, Sustainability, Equity and Plan Design

By Surya Kolluri, Catherine Reilly & David P. Richardson Countries around the world are considering and implementing reforms to their retirement systems for a variety of reasons, including increasing demographic and economic pressures. A key demographic driver is human longevity. For example, the average retiree can expect to spend about two decades in retirement, roughly double the time from 50 years ago. In the United States, life expectancy has risen by 17 years since the Social Security program debuted nearly...

US. Optimism about Retirement Preparedness Growing

Headlines to the contrary, a recent survey found that confidence is growing among American employees concerning their ability to meet their long-term financial and retirement goals. According to the fourth annual Protected Retirement survey from the Nationwide Retirement Institute, more than 6 in 10 (65%) workers say they are on the right track when it comes to financial preparedness for retirement. This figure rises to 71% for those aged 22-34 years old, which is a 15-point increase from 2023. This improvement,...

2024 Global Retirement Index

By Natixis Investment Managers Despite positive progress for many countries in the Global Retirement Index (GRI), retirement security remains on shaky ground in 2024. More and more individuals across the globe are realizing that they’re on their own when it comes to funding their retirement. Results from the long-running Natixis Global Survey of Individual Investors reveal that the number of people who say it’s increasingly their responsibility to fund retirement on their own—rather than relying on public and private pensions—has grown...

Sustainable Personal Finance : Planning for an Eco-Friendly Future

By Nur Wardina Azhar This study explores the emerging field of sustainable personal finance, focusing on strategies for planning an eco-friendly financial future. As environmental concerns become increasingly urgent, individuals are seeking ways to align their financial decisions with sustainability goals. This research examines the integration of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) criteria into various aspects of personal financial planning, including budgeting, investing, risk management, and retirement planning. The study analyzes contemporary issues such as green investing, eco-friendly insurance options,...

Financial Inclusion, Inequality, and Retirement Trends Among Older Workers

By Issac Marcelin & Wei Sun The study develops a financial inclusion index comprising three dimensions: usage, barriers, and access to financial resources. It employs a Principal Component Analysis to determine the weights of each dimension. This index helps assess the impact of financial inclusion on various factors like ethnic groups, minorities, human capital, retirement, wealth outcomes, and mental well-being. Our research reveals new psychological and sociological impacts of accessing financial products. Households with higher financial inclusion scores are likelier...

As life expectancy increases, Olivia S. Mitchell says it takes financial planning to take the worry out of extra retirement years

Career paths are rarely straight lines, but as new technologies transform jobs at a dizzying pace the twists and turns can throw retirement plans off course. Born to globe-trotting economist parents, Olivia S. Mitchell was introduced to economic principles early on. At the age of five, while living in Pakistan, she observed construction workers pouring concrete by bucket brigade rather than using a cement truck and asked her father why. “Labor is cheaper than capital,” he responded. Mitchell went...

August 2024

UK. Almost four in 10 pensioners have retirement regrets

Almost four in 10 (39 per cent) pensioners have retirement regrets, research from Hargreaves Lansdown has found. The research revealed that the top regret for retired people was failing to put together a plan early enough (15 per cent). In addition to this, one in 10 said they regretted not boosting contributions early enough, while 1 per cent said they wished they had taken financial advice. The research also revealed that 3 per cent of pensioners said they wish they had kept...

The Time is Right for a National Retirement Savings Plan

Experts on retirement saving have plenty of assorted ideas for making 401(k) plans work better. But most agree on the top priority: get them into the hands of more people. Only about half of private-sector US workers are covered by an employer-sponsored retirement savings plan at any given time—and that figure hasn’t budged much over the years. The lost opportunity to save at the workplace translates into far too many people retiring with paltry savings or none at all, leaving them reliant...