Retirement

Some see it as a state of stillness. A second childhood. A new chapter. The opportunity to live life rather than merely make a living. Some described it as hell. For others, it has been heaven. We asked readers to submit their stories of retirement, and almost 1,500 of you responded. The responses make it

These retirement savings accounts, which are often pitched to young investors, can be a good option for older and retired workers. At 72, Janice Campbell might not seem like your average investor in a Roth account. Those investment vehicles — funded with after-tax dollars instead of the pretax contributions that go into most individual retirement

Here is what experts say are the costliest stumbles people make with their retirement savings accounts — and how to get back on course. In a surprising turn, given the usual grim reports about how little most Americans have saved for retirement, there’s been a spate of good news lately about 401(k) investors. Plan participation,

Think of what’s happening in the stock market as a kind of fire drill. As we all know from childhood, one of the primary rules is not to panic. And in this case, panicking would mean selling stocks when the market is falling. You run drills to stay sharp, but we haven’t had much experience

Look out for the Social Security tax torpedo. It may be heading toward the hull of your retirement accounts as we speak. And if it hits, you may not even realize it. I’m in favor of taxing Social Security benefits, as the United States has done since 1983. I blogged this week against Donald Trump’s

A planned senior care facility next to the Pro Football Hall of Fame was trumpeted a decade ago. Today, no such place exists and the idea seems to have been dropped. In 2014, the Pro Football Hall of Fame announced plans for a $500 million development on its campus in Canton, Ohio. Included in the

The end of the payment pause means Americans in this age group will once again have to juggle paying off debt while trying to save for older age. As Generation X comes within shouting distance of retirement, with its oldest members just four years shy of the age at which they can begin drawing Social

Attracted by promises of high returns, many public pension funds have been loading up on private equity but may not fully appreciate the dangers, our columnist says. The Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund prides itself on being open about its investments, publishing monthly reports that provide more timely information than most other state and local

Amid the pandemic, people thought the labor market had permanently changed in important ways. It was a bad bet. Remember the “she-cession”? What about the early-retirement wave, or America’s army of quiet quitters? For economists and other forecasters, the pandemic and post-pandemic economy has been a lesson in humility. Time and again, predictions about ways

An estimate puts the average cost over a 20-year retirement at about $157,000. That’s almost double the estimate in 2002. Retirees just got some encouraging news: Coming changes to Medicare rules for prescription drugs may help rein in their health costs. In part because of recently enacted limits on retiree prescription drug costs, the estimated

Retirement plan administrators are noting an uptick in hardship withdrawals. But taking that money out can harm your future financial security. More Americans are raiding their retirement accounts as the cost of living climbs, and experts predict that the number of workers drawing on their 401(k)s to pay for financial emergencies may increase due to

Women who have gone through a divorce often see their savings and retirement depleted. Building back means careful planning. Twenty years ago, when I was pregnant with my daughter, a mom friend predicted my future: The baby will come and — from exhausted necessity — you and your husband will divide tasks, which will fall