September 2025
02Sep

US. Retirement Planning In 2025: What’s On People’s Minds

If retirement has been on your mind lately, you’re not alone. A record number of Americans are hitting retirement age this year, and it’s clear that rising living expenses and health care costs are giving many people pause. Whether you're approaching retirement or already settling into your golden years, now’s the time to check in on your financial game plan. Confidence Is Shaky And Inflation Is a Big Culprit According to Fidelity’s latest State of Retirement Planning study, just 67% of...

September 2, 2025
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August 2025
29Aug

Shocks to Income in a Lifecycle Model: An Undervalued Risk

By Sebastian Gomez-Cardona Lifecycle models are increasingly popular in financial planning. However, they often overlook the significant risk posed by income shocks-such as career disruptions, economic downturns, or technological advancements-that can affect financial plans, including retirement. This paper explores the role these shocks have on shaping saving rates, financial capital accumulation, and asset-allocation decisions, with particular attention to the possible relationship between income shocks and equity returns. By integrating industry-specific income risk into asset allocation decisions, this research provides practical...

August 29, 2025
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29Aug

Financial Literacy and Educator Behaviour: Insights from a Local Municipality in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

By Anrusha Bhana & Nkosinathi Princ Jali There is a substantial lack of financial literacy among educators, especially in emerging economies, which can influence personal and professional financial behavior. This study assessed whether financial literacy challenges influence high school educators' financial decision-making and behavior. An empirical study employing quantitative methodology assessed the lifestyle spending among high school educators and identified specific areas of financial literacy challenges and limitations. Data was collected randomly from a sample size of 246 out of...

August 29, 2025
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18Aug

How Many Americans Have Retirement Savings? The Answer May Surprise You.

Given the choice, most Americans would probably rather spend their extra money on entertainment, vacations, or home improvements than contribute to an IRA or 401(k). But without retirement savings, you risk struggling financially once your career comes to an end and you stop collecting a steady paycheck. If you're an average earner, you can expect your Social Security benefits to replace about 40% of your wages, assuming the program doesn't have to move forward with cuts. But it's typical for retirees to...

August 18, 2025
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13Aug

US. The Silver Tsunami: Navigating Retirement Risk in a Declining Financial Literacy Landscape

As the global population ages, a quiet crisis is unfolding: financial literacy rates among older adults have plummeted to below 60%, a stark drop from 69.5% in 2020. This decline, driven by cognitive aging, digital disengagement, and inadequate educational resources, is creating a perfect storm for retirement planning. With 78% of retirees underestimating their life expectancy and $28 billion in U.S. scam losses reported in 2023 alone, the stakes for long-term financial resilience have never been higher. The erosion of...

August 13, 2025
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11Aug

The Silent Crisis: Aging Populations and the Retirement Security Imperative

The global demographic shift toward an aging population is no longer a distant forecast—it is a present-day reality. By 2025, over 16% of the world's population will be aged 65 or older, a figure projected to rise to 25% by 2050. Yet, as lifespans extend, so too does a parallel crisis: the erosion of financial literacy among the elderly. This decline, driven by cognitive aging, digital disengagement, and systemic gaps in education, is creating a perfect storm of vulnerability...

August 11, 2025
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04Aug

This Bezos-Backed Real Estate Startup Is Quietly Disrupting the 401(k)

For decades, the 401(k) has been the gold standard of retirement planning in the U.S.—a slow-and-steady way to build wealth by investing in stocks, bonds, and mutual funds through your employer. But while that model has worked for millions, it's also left a lot to be desired: limited control, unpredictable returns, and almost no cash flow until you’re well into your 60s. That's why a new real estate investing platform backed by Jeff Bezos is turning heads—and quietly offering...

August 4, 2025
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July 2025
24Jul

HSBC highlights trends shaping longevity economy, reveals factors driving wealth creation

HSBC hosted a Future Wealth Conference at The Rosewood Hong Kong earlier this month, bringing together industry leaders, financial experts and high-net-worth individuals to explore the forces reshaping wealth in an era of rapid change. The conference was an exclusive event for the bank’s Premier Elite clients. The conference, themed “Unpacking Trends, Unlocking Opportunities”, focused on three critical areas: the opportunities and challenges of extended lifespans, the transformative potential of artificial intelligence (AI), and the shifts seen in consumer behaviour,...

July 24, 2025
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24Jul

EBRI: Long-Term Care One of the Most Under-Addressed Retirement Risks

In a July 22 webinar, the Employee Benefit Research Institute and Morningstar revealed that employees’ perceptions of long-term care needs, knowledge and accessibility of long-term services and supports, as well as longevity influence their financial readiness in retirement.  The webinar was based on findings from EBRI’s “Employee Long-Term Care Survey,” fielded in 2024, as well as results from Morningstar’s “The Overlooked Cost: How Long Term Services and Supports Impacts Retirement-Income Adequacy,” released in May.   “America is aging, yet nearly 40% of households...

July 24, 2025
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18Jul

Developing Retirement Living Standards

By Matt Padley & Claire Shepherd The Retirement Living Standards (RLS), first published in 2019 and funded by the Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association (PLSA), set out what the public agree is needed to retire at two living standards above a minimum standard of living, based on extensive research with members of the public. The research uses the established approach to defining minimum living standards pioneered at CRSP and describes in detail what the public agree single and partnered retirees...

July 18, 2025
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