Ask the Wizard: Can I Retire?

We tested online retirement readiness calculators at Vanguard, Fidelity, Schwab, New York Life, Pacific Life and the Alliance for Lifetime Income to look for best practices that might inform the creation of a standard "lifetime income disclosure" for 401(k) plans.

Annuity sales reach 12-year high in 2019

By Editorial Staff
Total fixed sales in 2019 were $139.8 billion, up 5% from 2018. That broke the previous record of $133.5 billion despite a weak fourth quarter when sales dropped 18% to $30.8 billion.
Campaign Trail

Mike Bloomberg’s Retirement Security Plans

By Editorial Staff
Bloomberg favors a public-option national workplace savings program, modeled on the federal Thrift Savings Plan. Its government match would be paid for with 'a reduction in the tax break for high-income retirement plan contributions.'

Once scorned, FIAs are now embraced: Cerulli

By Editorial Staff
'FIAs should not be harmed greatly by Fed rate cuts, and if markets become volatile and or bearish, fixed annuities will once again serve as safe havens for risk-averse investors,' a Cerulli report says.

COVER STORIES YOU MAY HAVE MISSED

February 13, 2020

Research Roundup

By Kerry Pechter
These five research papers explain why many institutional investors still work with 'high-touch' brokers, why the economy may slow as populations shrink, why parents might save more than they need to, why middle-aged rural...
February 6, 2020

A New Kind of Old Folks’ Home

By Kerry Pechter
For retirees who want a bundled (but not too restrictive) solution to their future housing and medical needs, a Type-C Continuing Care Retirement Community is an option. RIJ looked into the costs.
January 30, 2020

Tetris, Taxes and Retirement

By Kerry Pechter
The tradition of withdrawing taxable, tax-deferred and finally tax-free assets in retirement may be obsolete. Matching retirees' tax brackets with the right account types may be better. It's like filling the rows in Tetris...