Retirement Watch Weekly
Building the Case for Medicare Advantage
The Medicare Advantage alternative to traditional Medicare is increasing in popularity among beneficiaries but it isn’t popular among many Washington politicians. They’ve been trying to strangle the system for several years. They claim it costs too much. But that might not be the case. Take a look at this piece by someone who used to […]
An Optimistic Case for Stocks Prices
Economist Brad DeLong pushes back against the notion that stocks are overvalued and a bad investment at this point. The article is a little long and makes a number of points. He attacks a number of commonly-held views, such as that mean reversion is normal and inevitable, and that the long-term average of valuations is […]
A Case for Annuities in Retirement
Journalist Evan Simonoff recently attended a conference on global retirement issues and wrote a summary of the discussions. The aging population creates an increased need for a reliable income stream. Much of the conference focused on how individuals can create that income stream and, in particular, annuities versus investing lump sums. It’s a good, balanced […]
Trust Fund Babies
The wealthy used to go to great lengths to set up trust funds that would provide amply for at least the next generation and often for future generations. Those family wealthy dynasties appear to be out of favor, according to this article from The Washington Post. They’re worried about spoiling their kids and not allowing […]
Don’t Expect Much Help from Social Security Administration
While many people discuss the financial condition of Social Security, few people, even those in Congress, pay attention to the quality of the bureaucracy. This post argues that the service offered by the Social Security Administration is poor and becoming poorer. The SSA has steadily reduced the services it provides to us. In a recent […]
Older People and Friendships
This post is anecdotal, not research based, but it’s interesting. The author’s theory is that older people are more willing to “fire” their friends. He thinks younger people have more but shallower relationships and that younger people’s relationships are more group-oriented, so firing one friend has repercussions with others. In the past few years, I’ve […]
Living to 100
There are four keys to a long life, according to a recent study by BMO Wealth Institute (related to the Bank of Montreal). The four factors shouldn’t come as a surprise to readers of Retirement Watch or this blog. But the linked article is a good summary of the available research. The BMO report cited […]
Making Your Most Important Estate Planning Decision – Choosing Your Trustee
The success of your Estate Planning often is determined by the choice of trustee. The importance of that choice isn’t discussed often or fully enough. Many estate plans now include one or more trusts set up for various purposes, so this is a vital issue for most people. A trust is managed and administered by […]
