May 2025

As Rural Populations Grow Older, Communities Increasingly Rely on Smaller Labor Force

Rural populations are shifting older as people live longer, birth rates decline, younger people move out of rural areas, and older people decide to spend their retirement years in rural settings. By the end of 2025, the youngest of the Baby Boom generation (born between 1946 and 1964)—a large generation in total numbers—will have turned 61 and the oldest reached age 79, meaning that many are now in or looking at retirement. Meanwhile, working-age (15–64 years) populations in rural counties...

US. Outliving Savings: A Growing Risk

Changes in financial planning that will account for increasing longevity haven't necessarily kept pace with expectations that the number of Americans living to 100 and beyond will quadruple over the next 30 years, warns a new study. In fact, the research from the Nationwide Retirement Institute and the American College of Financial Services finds that extending a retirement by just five years from 30 to 35 years increases the risk of depleting savings by 41%, based on historical market returns. Conducted...

US. Rising Discount Rates Drove Down Pension Liabilities in April

The largest U.S. corporate pension funds had a modest recovery in April, as rising discount rates reduced plan liabilities enough to offset a shaky stock market. The improvement followed a rocky first quarter, which suffered from a more severe equities downturn. The funded status of the largest 100 U.S. corporate pension plans grew by $3 billion during April, while the funding ratios of these plans increased to 102.9%, up from 102.7% in March, according to Milliman. The modest rise follows...

US. Social Security Retirement Age Changes: When Can You Claim?

The full retirement age for Social Security is shifting again in 2025, marking a continued transition that affects millions of Americans approaching retirement. For those born in 1960, the age to receive full benefits has officially risen to 67. Why It Matters The increase in the full retirement age (FRA) reflects a phased change that began with the 1983 amendments to the Social Security Act, intended to account for longer life expectancy and financial solvency concerns within the program. The FRA is...

US. Bill Would Lower Retirement Plan Eligibility Age to 18

Senators Bill Cassidy (R-LA.) and Tim Kaine (D-VA.) have re-introduced the Helping Young Americans Save for Retirement Act. The bill was previously introduced last Congress in November 2023. Much like last time, the bill would reduce the participation age in ERISA-governed plans, currently set at 21 years old, to 18 years old. The purpose of the bill is to expand retirement savings to younger workers. ERISA plans would still be permitted to set a minimum age that is younger than 18. Employees...

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...

US. Los republicanos de la Cámara de Representantes impulsan recortes a las pensiones

Tras meses de lidiar con la campaña del Gobierno de Trump por reducir la plantilla federal, los empleados públicos se enfrentan ahora a la posibilidad de otro cambio importante que podría empujar a aún más trabajadores a abandonar sus puestos de trabajo. Los republicanos de la Cámara de Representantes buscan realizar varios ajustes importantes a las pensiones por jubilación de los trabajadores federales para ayudar a financiar el amplio paquete de recortes fiscales y del gasto impulsado por el partido....

Massive US pension fund announces seismic shift away from one type of risky investment: ‘Poses a real threat’

The New York State Pension Fund will be divesting over $30 million in investments across 39 coal, oil sands, and shale oil and gas companies, according to Net Zero Investor. Meanwhile, it will be pouring $2.4 billion into climate funds. The new investment includes the FTSE Russell TPI 1000 Climate Transition Index, the Oaktree Power Opportunities Fund VII, and the Vision Ridge Partners Sustainable Asset Fund IV. These funds support electrical infrastructure, renewable energy generation, agriculture adaptation, and decarbonization. The new investments are part of...

One of the Largest Teacher Pension Funds in the U.S. Sold Nvidia, Tesla, and Apple and Piled Into a Popular Pharmaceutical Stock Up 395% Over the Last 5 Years

With the second quarter of 2025 now over a month old, many investment funds will soon begin disclosing what stocks they held at the end of the first quarter, essentially providing investors a glimpse of what they bought and sold. It's a particularly interesting time to see how large institutional funds invested early in the year, given all of the volatility. First-quarter filings won't show what the market did in April, following President Donald Trump's "Liberation Day" announcement on April...

No one wins in a U.S.-China trade war, Milken speakers say

The standoff between the U.S. and China over trade and tariffs presents enormous risks for the global economy, with implications for combatting climate change, nuclear weapons security, and for the development of international standards for artificial intelligence, speakers said May 6 at the Milken Institute Global Conference 2025 in Beverly Hills, Calif. “We are tearing apart an international trade regime that served our country and the world very well," Robert Rubin, who served as secretary of the Treasury in the...