Millennials’ retirement outlook may be worse than older generations

JGI/Jamie Grill | Blend Images | Getty Images Millennials’ retirement prospects seem rockier than those of older generations of Americans. That’s largely a function of long-term policy changes such as a later age for full Social Security benefits and a shift to 401(k)-type plans, longer average lifespans and a bigger student debt burden relative to … Read more

Limiting retirement plan tax perks may help Social Security, experts say

Wand_prapan | Istock | Getty Images There’s no debate that Social Security’s funds — which are projected to become insolvent in the next decade — need fixing. But a new research proposal published by the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College by experts at the opposite ends of the political spectrum has sparked considerable … Read more

Gen Z, millennials are grappling with high cost of living

Rockaa | E+ | Getty Images Despite earning more, many Gen Z adults and millennials are having a hard time finding room in their budgets to invest. To that point, 63% of young adults believe the stock market is a great place to build wealth and invest, but many are not participating, according to the … Read more

What Walmart’s new focus on employee stock means for the labor market

Friday’s huge jobs number showed that the labor market remains highly competitive, with wage increases outpacing expectations, and the retail industry third among those with net job gains. It’s no surprise then that the biggest retailer, Walmart, is increasing its efforts to attract and retain workers. But what’s interesting is a new carrot that it … Read more

How the generations stack up financially

By many measures, Generation Z is doing well. Compared with their parents at this age, young adults are more likely to have a college degree and work full time — particularly women, who are not only achieving increasing levels of education but also earning more.    However, Gen Z adults are also less likely to own a … Read more

Best states to retire in 2024

Florida has regained its status as the best state for retirees in 2024. That’s according to WalletHub’s latest “Best and Worst States to Retire” study. In 2023, Virginia took the top spot and knocked Florida down to No. 2. WalletHub used three main categories to rank the retirement friendliness of all 50 states: Affordability, which … Read more

Here’s the rate of return to expect on your retirement portfolio

GlobalStock | Getty Images When you invest toward retirement, experts often like to say you are letting your money work for you. But how much can you realistically expect to earn on your money? The annual rate of return — defined as the percentage change in an investment’s value — is an estimate of the … Read more

Gen Z says they have it harder than their parents did

Gen Zers are having a harder time making ends meet, let alone building wealth. Roughly 38% of Generation Z adults and millennials believe they face more difficulty feeling financially secure than their parents did at the same age, largely due to the economy, according to a recent Bankrate report. Gen Z is generally defined as those born between 1996 and … Read more

Why 2024 will be ‘a very good year for savers,’ particularly with CDs

Simpleimages | Moment | Getty Images Higher interest rates were good news in 2023 for savers who were able to earn the best rates on their cash in years. Even with the possibility of looming rate cuts by the Federal Reserve, 2024 still stands to be a great year for returns on cash. “Yields are … Read more

How much money you need to retire in every U.S. state

The cost of retirement can vary by as much as $1.36 million depending on where you live in the U.S., according to an analysis by personal finance website GOBankingRates.com. To determine the amount of money needed to retire, GOBankingRates calculated the annual expenses for housing, food, utilities, transportation and health care in each state for … Read more