February 2026

How retirees are driving the US economy more than ever

Americans 70 and older now control an outsized share of the nation’s wealth, equities and housing assets, a shift driven by demographics, rising corporate profits and decades of soaring home and stock values, The Wall Street Journal writes. Federal Reserve data shows older households have steadily increased their share of net worth and market holdings, even as wealth has lagged for younger groups. Many retirees are also financially and physically healthier than prior generations: Most own their homes, often with little debt,...

Rethinking Retirement Planning for a 100-Year Life

With Canadians living longer than ever, experts say that retirement planning has to account for decades, not years. Starting early and staying invested are critical to building a strong financial cushion for one’s later years. Younger Canadians are using a diverse range of investments, including mutual funds, ETFs, and alternatives. Canadians are living longer than ever, which is why experts say that younger investors should plan for their savings to last decades, not years, in retirement. Average life expectancy for Canadians has...

US. Elderly population growth outpacing caregiver resources

The senior population is growing in the United States. According to a study by CareScout the 65-plus population is on track to hit 82 million in the next 25 years. There are currently around 60 million. Many states across the country aren’t prepared to handle a population aging this fast. Around the Tri-States, Missouri ranked 50th as the least prepared state to handle what’s being called the “Silver Tsunami.” Illinois ranked 4th and Iowa ranked 32nd. “The demand is growing to fast were there aren’t...

US. 1/3 Withdraw 401(k) Balances After Job Changes—What Is Driving This Trend?

Retirement savers are generally putting more into their 401(k) accounts these days, but much of the money Americans are saving for their future doesn’t end up lasting until then. That's because a large portion of employees withdraw their 401(k) balance in a lump sum when they leave a job, rather than rolling it over to their new employer or into another account, or leaving their balance where it is. One-third of those who have Vanguard-administered 401(k) plans and left a job did this, according to...

What Trump’s Australian-style retirement program would look like in the US

Although pensions have largely disappeared thanks to tax code changes in the 1970s, today individuals have more options than ever to save for retirement with a variety of IRA and employer-sponsored plans to choose from. But Americans may soon have another account option for to retirement savings. In early December, CNN reported that President Donald Trump's administration is considering implementing an Australian-style retirement program in the U.S. Put simply, an Australian-type retirement program comprises an employer-sponsored retirement plan, which in Australia is commonly known...

Underpaid and under pressure: The eldercare workforce leading the US’s job growth

The U.S. added 130,000 jobs in January, according to federal data released this week. But a closer look shows that the lion's share of this growth came from one specific task: caring for older Americans. Grouped under the formal categories of "social assistance" and "healthcare," at-home care services, hospitals and long-term care facilities added 124,000 positions. Much of this expansion was among the tens of thousands of aides and assistants who help elderly and disabled people bathe, dress, eat and manage...

US. Older people power a gray-shaped economy

Forget K-shaped, try gray-shaped: Older Americans are powering the economy. Why it matters: The changing demographics in the U.S. — more old people, fewer young ones — are reshaping jobs and spending in all kinds of ways. The latest: Nearly all of the job growth in January came from the health care and social assistance sectors, per the BLS data out Wednesday. Health care employment also drove much of the labor market growth last year. How it works: "As the population ages, you need more doctors and nurses, but you also...

US. People Now Have Much More Money in IRAs than 401(k)s. Why That Leaves Workers More Vulnerable.

The most extraordinary development in the U.S. private sector retirement system is not the shift away from old-fashioned defined benefit plans, which began around 1980 and is virtually complete today, but rather the movement away from 401(k) plans, which replaced the defined benefit plans, to Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs). Total IRA assets now exceed the money in 401(k)s by $7 trillion (see Figure 1). The shift from 401(k)s to IRAs moves the employees’ money to a different regulatory environment. 401(k)...

Danish pensions’ US investment dilemma

Pension funds in Denmark are under government pressure to invest more at home, with some reassessing their US exposure amid concerns over financial stability and geopolitical tensions. AkademikerPension and PFA recently cut their holdings of US Treasuries, for instance. Similarly, investors across Europe and beyond are considering – or undertaking – their own action. President Donald Trump’s threats to seize Danish-ruled Greenland, though, are of particular relevance to Copenhagen. Decisions like these cannot be taken lightly or quickly, as Menno van den Elsaker of Dutch...

Birthrates Are Down. That Can Be a Sign of Progress

Dear reader, Five years ago when we started Headway, an initiative at The Times that considers the world’s challenges through the lens of progress, I wrote that measurement drives nearly every area of human endeavor. We chart our impact on the climate by measuring the amount of carbon in the air and the steady climb of average temperatures; we watch inflation and G.D.P. to understand the health of the economy. On subject after subject, when these indicators point the way we...