May 2025

US. Opinion: How good will your retirement be? Depends on where you live.

Geography is destiny, the saying goes, but money redraws the map. It’s certainly true with the U.S. economy, where the bulk of GDP is generated in urban, coastal areas. It’s also true, says a new study, for just how financially well off our retirement may be. This shouldn’t come as a surprise. Urban areas, says a recent Brookings Institution study, outperform rural ones in metrics like GDP per capita, job creation and wage growth; it stands to reason then that benefits, including...

Pension funds ‘to unlock up to £50bn’ of investment, with half for UK firms

The bosses of 17 of the UK’s biggest pension funds have struck a deal with the government that it claims will release up to £50bn worth of investments, with at least half earmarked for British assets including clean energy projects and homegrown startups. Fund managers including Aviva, Legal & General, M&G, Phoenix and the Universities Superannuation Scheme have agreed to sign a new “Mansion House accord” that will lead to at least 10% of their workplace pension schemes being invested...

Baby Boomers vs. Gen X: How They Approach Retirement Differently

Nobody wants to hear they’re becoming their parents, but as we age, it's often inevitable. It’s hard to escape it when their morals, values, and idiosyncrasies have been etched into our brains. Unless, however, we’re talking about retirement saving, planning and investing. When it comes to baby boomers and Gen Xers, their approaches couldn’t be more different. Baby Boomers, born between 1946 and 1964 (according to Pew Research), number 69 million strong. Pew places Generation X, or Gen X, as those...

UK. Only half of mid-retirees confident they are on track to make their private pension last for life

New research by Aviva and Age UK has found only half (48%) are confident they are on track to make their private pension savings last for life[1]. Just over a quarter (26%) reported feeling financially secure, with women (19%) feeling less financially secure than men (32%). The research surveyed 1,000 mid-retirees aged 65-75 who have a private pension and are on a moderate retirement income, and do not pay for financial advice or have a final salary pension over £20k...

April 2025

For Most Americans, Going Broke in Retirement Is a Bigger Fear Than Death: Survey

The Allianz Center for the Future of Retirement has published its annual retirement study, finding yet again that a solid majority of Americans say they worry more about running out of money in retirement than they worry about their mortality. Specifically, 64% of survey respondents this year said they worry more about financial destitution in retirement than death. Despite the concern, 62% say they are not saving as much for retirement as they would like, while 54% say inflation contributes to their...

Survey reveals thoughts on Americans’ ideal retirement age

When is the best time to retire? It depends on who is answering the question, but that answer gives food for thought for senior housing developers and providers creating and renovating spaces for older adults. In recently published results of a survey of Americans, the answer, on average, was 61.8 years — more than five years before a current 61.8-year-old would be able to collect full Social Security and more than three years before that person would be eligible for...

Retirement in the USA: The Outlook of the Workforce 25th Annual Transamerica Retirement Survey

By Transamerica Institute Retirement in the USA: The Outlook of the Workforce, a collaboration between Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies (TCRS) and Transamerica Institute, delves into the retirement prospects of the U.S. workforce including workers who are employed by others, self-employed workers, and workers who are unemployed but looking for work. Based on a survey of more than 6,100 members of the workforce, the report delves into their life priorities and outlook, personal finances, retirement expectations, and how they are saving,...

UK. Research reveals lack of retirement preparedness as life expectancy increases

Less than two thirds (60 per cent) of professional investors feel they are either fully or almost fully financially prepared to help their clients in living for longer in retirement, research by Fidelity International has revealed. However, the research, which included responses from institutional investors and intermediary distributors across Europe and Asia, found that 40 per cent of respondents felt there was a lack of readiness to support clients in this area. Fidelity International global head of client solutions, Katie Roberts...

US. Secure 2.0 Act Changes Some Key 401(K) Guidelines for 2025

These changes are very important to know for small employers with existing 401(k) plans and those considering starting a 401(k) plan. Also, if you are a part-time employee or an employee over the age of 50, these changes will affect you. 401(k) retirement plans are employer sponsored, qualified retirement plans that are available to employees. The employee can elect to have an amount or percentage of their pay deducted either before or after taxes — Roth 401(k) — and invested...

March 2025

Can ChatGPT Plan Your Retirement?: Generative AI and Financial Advice

By Andrew W. Lo, Jillian Ross We identify some of the most pressing issues facing the adoption of large language models (LLMs) in practical settings, and propose a research agenda to reach the next technological inflection point in generative AI. We focus on four challenges facing most LLM applications: domain-specific expertise, an ability to tailor that expertise to a user’s unique situation, trustworthiness and adherence to the user’s moral and ethical standards, and conformity to regulatory guidelines and oversight. These...