Stethoscope on puzzle, solving the mystery of health care

Households approaching retirement face a wide variety of risks to their financial security.  They may live longer than planned and deplete their resources; they may experience unexpectedly high inflation; or they may receive unusually poor returns on their investments.  Equally consequential is the risk that households will face major expenses to cover medical and long-term…

Older couple enjoying a sunny walk by the sea

Life expectancy and its swings over time receive significant attention from both academics and the public.  Much less attention, however, is paid to the variation in lifespan around its average – the variance of longevity.  However, it is precisely this unpredictability of age of death that makes lifetime income provided by Social Security and annuities…

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Some 38 million family caregivers spend an estimated 36 billion hours a year caring for their loved ones. The patchwork...

Close-up judge gavel with sad piggy bank and coun stacks

Looking to the underlying problem — uncovered state and local workers. Every analyst who knows anything about Social Security agrees...

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The medium- and long-term effects of the COVID-19 pandemic are of continued interest to policymakers, advocates, and academics.  Given the importance of health in decisions to work, earn, and eventually claim OASI benefits, COVID may have long-term effects on programs SSA administers even well after the official end of the pandemic…

One aspect of the pandemic that has persisted is the increased relevance of remote work.  This shift could help older people with disabilities, who might otherwise find it hard to get or keep jobs.  Indeed, this group has a higher employment rate post-pandemic than pre-pandemic…

Many who are familiar with state and local government finances are concerned that rising pension contributions could be crowding out important government services. And, some academic literature does find that higher pension contributions are associated with reduced employment in local governments and school districts. The issue is particularly acute for school districts, which must maintain…

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Older man paying monthly bills

As you think about your financial future in this new age of longevity, a strong plan means more than just asking if you have enough.

Photo of daughter with elderly mother

Ask family caregivers what sort of government support they want and their answer is clear: They want upfront cash.