Want to Live Longer? Eating a Little Less Might Do the Trick

Putting just a bit less on your dinner plate each day might be key to a longer life, preliminary research suggests. People who reduced their caloric intake by just 15 percent over two years experienced a significant decrease in their metabolism, according to a small clinical trial. These folks also saw improvements in biomarkers associated… [Read More]

Reverse Mortgages Help Curb Retirement Risk for Divorced Women

Reverse mortgages have been increasingly pitched as a way to stave off the effects of so-called “gray divorce,” and a new research brief shows just how a split can put both parties’ retirement futures at risk — and how home equity benefits one demographic in particular. Households in which at least one party had previously… [Read More]

Why Today’s Seniors Are Primed to Tap Home Equity for Retirement

Rising household wealth held by older adults in recent years have put today’s seniors in a better position to tap home equity for retirement purposes. But increasing housing debt among this population could hinder their ability to use home equity to improve retirement security in the future, according to new research from the Urban Institute…. [Read More]

69% of Seniors Say Social Security ‘Critical’ to Retirement Plans

More than two-thirds of seniors say that Social Security benefits are critical to their retirement planning according to a new survey, while a plurality said their biggest financial regret from their younger days was not saving enough. The April survey was conducted by LendEDU, an online student loan refinancing marketplace, which sought the opinions of… [Read More]

Less than 40% of Americans on the Right Retirement Track

Less than 40% of Americans say their retirement plans are on track, and non-retirees report widespread confusion about some common financial tools and concepts, according to a new report from the Federal Reserve. Three-fifths of working people with 401(k)s, IRAs, and traditional savings accounts reported “little or no comfort” with managing them, the Fed found… [Read More]

Putting it in reverse, advisors warm to reverse mortgages

It’s no secret that Americans are largely unprepared for retirement. But according to some financial advisors, they could be improving their financial standing significantly by factoring in home equity into a comprehensive retirement income plan. Reverse mortgages give seniors who are at least 62 years old a way to convert their home equity into cash…. [Read More]

One-Third of Americans Have Less than $5K for Retirement

The grim outlook for many Americans approaching retirement age has some new stark statistics: One-third of respondents in a recent survey said they’d saved less than $5,000 for retirement. Among baby boomers, one third said they had $25,000 or less in retirement cash available, according to a new data release from life insurance provider Northwestern… [Read More]

Finance Professor Urges Retirees Not to Ignore Reverse Mortgages

Early in his new book on retirement strategies, financial planner and professor Jamie Hopkins introduces the idea of reverse mortgages as a potential part of long-term retirement planning — and he quickly anticipates the potential backlash. “Let me preface this by pleading with you to continue to read and not give in to your urge… [Read More]

Putting it in reverse, advisors warm to reverse mortgages

It’s no secret that Americans are largely unprepared for retirement. But according to some financial advisors, they could be improving their financial standing significantly by factoring in home equity into a comprehensive retirement income plan. Reverse mortgages give seniors who are at least 62 years old a way to convert their home equity into cash…. [Read More]