Americans are more financially prepared for retirement than they were just a few years ago, recent research found. One of the reasons for that good news might be bad. Many people approaching retirement age today are heavily invested in stocks, potentially leaving their savings vulnerable to the next recession. “If there was a market downturn,

Dental costs can take a huge bite out of seniors’ finances, even if they have Medicare. In all, 65 percent of Medicare beneficiaries, or 37 million people, have no dental coverage, according to recent data from the Kaiser Family Foundation. The federal retiree health-care program doesn’t pay for cleanings, fillings, crowns or dentures — all

In the search for fixed income, financial advisors are looking beyond bonds to alternatives — from the commonplace to the more arcane. Some view certificates of deposit as an alternative to individual bonds in the current environment. “If I don’t want to outguess the direction of rates, the CD option gives me a very low

If you are looking for a way to lower your taxes and have already worked your way through well-known deductions such as child-care expenses and property taxes, it may pay to think outside the box. There are some write-offs you may not have known about, and those could apply to your situation. That could come

Most people are all too familiar with the latte factor – the idea that if you eliminate your $5-a-day coffee habit (or green juice serving or any other unnecessary daily expense), you could accumulate a lot of money over time, especially if you use that money to invest. In fact, Americans could save $5,339.35 a

Reports of Americans being unprepared for retirement have become so widespread that it no longer seems to elicit any emotional response. The Employee Benefit Research Institute found that 40.6 percent of all U.S. households (where the head of the household is between ages 35 and 64) are projected to run out of money in retirement.

Climate change questions don’t get more fundamental than this one: How much time is left to act before it is too late? Right now the difficulty of answering that question is showing up in a place where many individuals are heavily invested in getting the answer right: The index funds responsible for meeting millions of

Are you looking forward to a tax refund this year? How would you feel if the IRS told you that it had already paid out your refund to someone else? It happens all too often. The hundreds of billions paid out annually by the Internal Revenue Service in tax refunds remains one of the prime

On a recent Tuesday night, a crowd of at least 100 women in their 20s and 30s gathered in a yellow-splashed loft space in Manhattan. Scented candles and tastefully potted plants filled the room. Relaxing music, the kind you might find in an upscale bar, played in the background. Laughter broke out when a pair

While the pace of climate change is a matter of some debate, most would argue that our path of travel is not. We are headed toward a hotter, drier world, with more frequent extreme weather events. The impacts will extend to all facets of life, including investment management. The National Climate Assessment, released in late

Republicans have trashed the Green New Deal — Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s proposal to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions and create a renewable energy economy — as unrealistic, unaffordable and ill-conceived. But ever since the New York Democrat began promoting the idea late last year, a growing number of House GOP lawmakers have been increasingly willing to

Online personal finance portal SmartAsset and its SmartAdvisor Match service surveyed and compiled a list of the U.S.cities where seniors are most prepared for retirement. The company noted that Northwestern Mutual has found more than a fifth of Americans, overall, have nothing saved for their retirement, and that government analyses show that those families that

When financial advisor Cathy Curtis takes on a new client, she gives them a questionnaire that asks, “Are you interested in impact or sustainable investing?” Most people say yes to these investments, which involve putting money into companies that are keeping climate change and other concerns in mind, according to Curtis, founder and chief executive

As renewed interest in bonds continues, there is also growing interest in non-traditional bonds and strategies. “The financial crisis of ’07 to ’09 resulted in much lower interest rates, which led to new and different investment mandates in bond investing,” said certified financial planner and CPA Edward P. Schmitzer, president and founder of River Capital

Close to a month into tax season, tax refunds are starting to increase. The average check is now $3,143 for the week ending Feb. 22, according to the IRS. That’s just about on par with last year’s figures, reflecting a rise of 1.3 percent year over year. The increase in refund amounts is a change

Uber, Lyft, Airbnb and Pinterest: These are just a few of the companies eyeing the public markets this year. And while now considered household names, financial experts say that doesn’t necessarily mean you should buy. Ride-hailing company Lyft filed its IPO prospectus on Friday, following reports that it expects to be valued between $20 billion

Is now the time to revisit bonds in your portfolio? It may be, given that the Federal Reserve is advocating a “patient” approach to interest rates and a survey by the National Association for Business Economics has found that about 50 percent of U.S. business economists believe the country will be in a recession by

You’ve read it in the headlines: Temperatures are rising and icebergs are melting. And as more evidence points to the growing influence of climate change, one area is sure to be impacted: big business. As evidence, take PG&E’s recent bankruptcy filing following the wildfires that ravaged California over the past two years. The company’s equipment

The clock is ticking for workers to use up the money they’ve saved in their flexible spending accounts. The health-care FSA permits employees to stash cash on a pretax basis into a savings account. You can take tax-free distributions as long as you’re using the money for qualified medical expenses. There’s an expiration date on

Generating enough income in retirement calls for managing risks to that flow of cash. Retirement savers can’t do that unless they know what those risks are. Financial planners identify these eight prime retirement income risks and provide guidance for reducing them. 1. Timing: the risk you’ll retire during a bear market. Dallas-based certified financial planner