Retirement Watch Weekly
Worst State for Retirement
It’s easy to find guides to the best places to retire. There are numerous books and articles. But it’s not so easy to find a list of places you shouldn’t retire to. Of course, you could pick up the latest Census report and see which areas are losing population. But the web site TopRetirements.com put […]
Is the ETF Bubble About to Burst?
Exchange-Traded Funds are probably the most successful new product launch in the investment industry as measured by the rate of new money flows into it. But things haven’t been all roses for ETFs. A number of ETFs quietly folded or merged into other ETFs because they couldn’t attract enough assets. Many others still are available […]
Exploring Causes of the Financial Crisis
I’ve never been happy with the widely-held theories of the causes of the financial crisis. Most are too simple and use movie-type good guy-bad guy themes to explain what went wrong. That’s why I was happy to see a new book is out with a better explanation that is better documented than most others. It’s […]
Medical Costs Most Worrisome Part of Retirement
Baby Boomers looking at their retirement finances are most concerned about their ability to pay retirement medical expenses, according to a survey by the Insured Retirement Institute. Over two-thirds are concerned, and the younger the boomer the more concerned. Over 70% of those ages 50 to 54 are worried. They should be worried. The IRI […]
Americans Still Spending More, Deferring Savings
It’s no secret that during the boom years the personal savings rate of Americans gradually declined until at the peak it actually was negative by some computations. The crisis of 2008 was supposed to change that. Americans, rattled by the decline in the values of their homes and portfolios, became more frugal. They were cutting […]
Adult Children – Dealing with Boomerang Kids
More and more adult-aged children and grandchildren are moving back to their parents or grandparents’ homes. They don’t have jobs, and their job prospects aren’t good. Adults used to need help on how to deal with the empty nest. Now, they need help on the best ways to handle their adult offspring who aren’t moving […]
The New Retirement
I’ve been saying for some time that retirement is changing. See my book, The New Rules of Retirement. One change I’ve expected is for people to work longer. Earlier and earlier retirements were a trend until the early 2000s. It makes sense for people to work longer because they’re living longer and staying healthier and […]
Seeking High Yields in Mortgage REITs?
The Federal Reserve is keeping normal interest rates near zero, so investors who need income have to look elsewhere. Many are attracted to mortgage REITs. While strategies differ, a mortgage REIT generally borrows money at low short-term interest rates and lends it long-term in mortgages that pay higher yields. Some lend the money directly or […]
