Seniors Would Rather Plan to Pay for Funerals Than Long-Term Care

Putting off retirement planning is common among healthy seniors — to the point where a substantial majority of them would rather think about dying than how to plot out their remaining living years. Three-quarters of respondents to a survey from Home Instead, Inc., a home health provider, said they felt more comfortable thinking about funerals… [Read More]

Survey finds nearly 25% of adults have no retirement plan besides Social Security

A survey of over 1,000 U.S. adults conducted by GOBankingRates found that if not for the presence of the Social Security program, nearly one in four adults would not have any retirement plan at all. “While nearly as many people could leave their benefits on the table and still retire in style, 50% of the… [Read More]

21% of Boomers Lack Savings for One Month’s Expenses

Yet another poll reveals that all generations feel unprepared when it comes to retirement savings — with 21% of baby boomers lacking adequate savings to cover one month of basic expenses, according to AARP. Co-commissioned with the Association of Young Americans, the “Three Generations Survey” asked baby boomers,Generation Xers, and millennials, a variety of retirement… [Read More]

Smoking Linked to Frailty in Seniors

Seniors who smoke may be more likely to become frail, a new British study suggests. Researchers tracked more than 2,500 people 60 and older in England and found that current smoking boosted that risk by about 60 percent. The scientists determined that the participants were frail if they had at least three of five conditions:… [Read More]

More Than Half of Americans Will Need Nursing Home Care: Study

That eclipses the 35 percent estimate used by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the researchers added. “Lifetime use of nursing homes is considerably greater than previously thought, mostly due to an increase in short stays of less than three weeks,” said lead researcher Michael Hurd. He is director of the RAND Center… [Read More]

Reverse Mortgages Could Hold Key to Secure Retirement

Joining the chorus of popular media outlets that have covered home equity’s role in retirement, USA Today ran a lengthy piece this week about ways homeowners can tap into their wealth — including with a Home Equity Conversion Mortgage. Quoting experts such as reverse mortgage researcher Wade Pfau and wealth advisor Randy Bruns, the national… [Read More]

As more seniors live alone, retirement finances could be challenging

Generation Xers and baby boomers who live alone in retirement may face unique financial challenges compared to other seniors, according to a column in The Street by Center for Financial Planning (CFP) partner Sandra D. Adams. After a New York Times story was published on the challenges of seniors living alone, Adams looked at data… [Read More]

Americans are worried about outliving retirement savings, new report shows

While a majority of American workers believe that they’re building a sufficient retirement nest egg, more than one in three workers (37%) report that they’ve had to tap into their retirement accounts — including hardship withdrawals — to make ends meet, according to a recent report from the Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies. And, retirement… [Read More]

Seniors still making mortgage payments should consider HECM

Roughly 60% of homeowners at or approaching the age of 62 continue to make forward mortgage payments,a sizable expense as many people during that phase of life are transitioning out of their jobs and into a fixed-income environment. A reverse mortgage’s elimination of a monthly mortgage payment may provide needed financial relief for these seniors,… [Read More]

Reverse mortgage worth mentioning in housing conversations with seniors

Conversations with older adults related to the housing needs of later life can be sensitive and difficult to navigate, but offering a range of options about what directions that seniors can take their housing futures into can be beneficial. One such option could include a reverse mortgage, according to a new column published by AARP…. [Read More]