Tag: financial shock

Business people analyzing financial documents

Emergency expenses are eating up a lot of retirees’ money. A few months ago, a colleague asked me what I thought about annuities in 401(k) plans. Before Harvard reclaims my Ph.D., let me lay out the merits of annuities. Annuities are contracts that provide a stream of monthly payments in exchange for a premium. T…

Asian couple feeling surprised using laptop

Emergency savings are a key component of financial security for households of all ages. To decide how much cash savings to have on hand and how to balance this need with other financial priorities, households need good information on the spending shocks they may…