February 2025

US. What the 2025 Social Security Age Change Means for Retirement Planning

If you're nearing retirement, you’ve probably wondered when to start taking Social Security benefits. For years, age 65 was considered the “normal” retirement age, but a law passed in 1983 gradually raised this age to reflect the increasing life expectancy of Americans.1 As of 2025, the full retirement age (FRA) is still rising depending on your birth year.2 Knowing when to claim benefits can significantly impact your monthly checks. Key Takeaways Full Retirement Age rises to 66 years and 10 months for those born in 1959. ...

Philippines. Funding your future: The road to retirement income

"SOCIAL security will cover most of my retirement expenses and I can fully rely on my company's retirement plan to further support me. Additionally, I can live comfortably on a smaller budget in retirement." While these thoughts are common when people think about retirement income, it is important to consider whether they might be too optimistic, as they could lead to complacency and hinder adequate preparation for retirement. The Mercer CFA Institute Global Pension Index (GPI), launched in 2009, is...

January 2025

2024 BlackRock Read on Retirement

By BlackRock Retirement. It’s deeply personal. And yet, many of the challenges workers face are common and shared. The relationship someone new to the workforce has with retirement is likely very different than that of someone later in their career. Layer in factors like individual experience and a lack of access to the right tools, opportunities and guidance… and suddenly the path can get complex. But we’re rethinking retirement – because it doesn’t have to be. Get the report here.

Influencing Retirement Savings Decisions with Automatic Enrollment and Related Tools

By John Beshears, James J. Choi, David Laibson & Brigitte C. Madrian Historically, retirees in the US relied on the “three-legged stool” of Social Security, defined benefit (DB) pension plans, and personal savings to provide retirement income.1 Beginning in the late 1970s, however, access to DB plans began to fall while access to defined contribution (DC) plans, which require individuals to make their own savings plan contributions and investment decisions during their working years, rose.2 As of December 2023, retirement assets in...

Australia. Avoiding the retirement poverty trap

More than one fifth of Australian retirees live in poverty, according to a recent report by the left-leaning think-tank, The Australia Institute. The Reducing poverty in retirement report compares the poverty rate of people aged 65 and over between Australia, Sweden, and Norway, which are nations with comparable GDPs. It concludes that the public pension systems in Sweden and Norway ensure retirement security while Australia’s system does not. The rate of poverty in retirement in Australia is 22.6% – more than one in five. In...

US. 9 Ways Retirement Will Be Different in 2025

Retirement is not static. Even when the kids are gone and the career is done, your lifestyle and expectations are constantly evolving. So are your finances. Areas key to retirees’ economic life, from Social Security payments and Medicare costs to the way we contribute to and withdraw from savings plans, will see changes in 2025. Here are nine things to know about your retirement money in the year to come. 1. Social Security payments Social Security’s cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) boosts benefits in 2025 by 2.5...

December 2024

Gen Xers Feel Unprepared for Retirement — 11 Things They Need To Do Right Away

Generation X is next in line to retire after boomers, and some have already begun. However, more than half of Gen Xers (52%) don’t feel prepared for retirement, according to a recent Northwestern Mutual study. While being so close to retirement may seem like it’s too late to take any significant action, financial experts explain that’s not the case. Here are 11 things Gen Xers who feel unprepared for retirement should do right away. Create a Financial Plan Though it’s tempting to try and land on a number...

A Checklist for Retiring in 2025

Only you can know if you're ready for a checklist for retiring in 2025. If you’re 60 or getting there, retirement is no longer a hazy concept in the distance. It’s a real deadline. In five or six years, or maybe just a year. Or six months. Or even six weeks. You are going to leave your full-time job, not for a new phase in a working career, but for a largely unknown future. Ideally, you’ve prepared financially and otherwise...

Just 19% of UK savers have factored getting a serious illness in to their retirement plan

Just a fifth of UK savers (19%) have fully considered getting a serious illness in their retirement plan, according to research by consultancy Barnett Waddingham. Its At retirement reckoning report, which surveyed more than 5,000 UK employees, also found that 25% of respondents under the age of 50 have prepared for this possibility, compared to just 16% of those aged over 50. Two-fifths (43%) of this older age group have thought about it but not included it in their retirement planning, and 32%...

Morningstar Drops Recommended Safe Withdrawal Rate to 3.7%

Morningstar Inc. has lowered what the investment research firm considers a safe retirement savings withdrawal rate for new retirees based on a 30-year outlook, according to the firm’s annual “State of Retirement Income” report released Wednesday. To decide on the recommended withdrawal rate, Morningstar researchers considered forward-looking asset class returns and inflation assumptions for new retirees, excluding what they may be getting from Social Security or other nonportfolio income sources such as a company pension. In that forward-looking analysis, the authors...