Squared Away Blog

Laid off from his job as a software engineer, Ken Wadland did something smart: he downsized. After losing his job in June 2009, it immediately became obvious to Wadland that he could not afford his large house in the Rhode Island countryside. He sold it and purchased a condominium to reduce his housing costs, which are the largest single expense for most households. The financial-services industry barrages baby boomers with tips for saving and investing their retirement nest eggs. But little attention is paid to the strategy of downsizing, an effective way for baby boomers to improve their retirement security by cashing in on the large amounts of equity built up in their homes over decades. “I’d rather not hav…

Rudy Limas, a laid-off truck driver, resorted to applying for unskilled labor jobs – anything to get back to work and support his family. “They look at your age and think, ‘He can’t handle it’ – even though I can,” the 61-year-old Oregon resident said. “They look at your age [and] they’re not going to hire you.”” Limas’ video interview, included in the online project, “Over 50 and Out of Work,” was selected by Squared Away for a series about the particular financial issues facing people approaching retirement age who lose their jobs. Rudy Limas from Over Fifty and Out of Work on Vimeo…

The financial impact on older people who find themselves out of work goes far beyond the missed paychecks: it upsets well-laid plans for retirement. Stan Bednarczyk, an engineer who was laid off in 2009 by a Michigan automobile supplier, has numerous concerns.  He can no longer contribute to the retirement account sponsored by his former employer.  And since Social Security is based on an individual’s 35 highest years of earnings, his future benefit may be lower when he retires. The total dollar cost of his late-career joblessness, which he detailed in this video, is shocking.   Stan Bednarczyk from Over Fifty and Out of Work on Vimeo. Bednarczyk was among 100 unemployed men and women interviewed for a powerful new video…

Curious Behaviors: teaches users about behavioral impediments to effective retirement planning, such as inertia and over-optimisim; engages users through an on-line host who uses humor and a light touch; provides ways to cope with behavioral foibles; and offers opportunities to learn more about each behavior. Try out Curious Behaviors now…

Learn mor…