May 2018
“Love yourself first and everything else falls into line. You really have to love yourself to get anything done in this world.”
– Lucille Ball
GOLF TIP
Minimize excess movement to see putting improvement
The best path to a better putt is to develop correct body alignment and a pendulum stroke. It is all in the arms, not in the wrists. This approach helps you strike the ball in the center of the clubface, at the bottom of the swing arc, with the club path and clubface parallel to your target line.
BRAIN TEASER
Word Problem.
What five-letter English word does not change its pronunciation when you take four letters away?*
DID YOU KNOW?
Every mile of the mighty Mississippi once froze over
For a spell in 1899, America’s most famous river was frozen from its origins in Minnesota to the Gulf of Mexico. A 2” thick ice sheet covered the waterway in New Orleans, lessening to 1” at the river’s mouth.(4)
Last week’s answer:
He was driving on a highway with a speed limit above 60mph.
MONTHLY NEWS AND INFORMATION FOR CURRENT AND FUTURE RETIREES
Would You Pay More for a Better Employee Retirement Plan?
If that trade-off sounds worthwhile, rest assured you are not the only one who feels that way. Sixty-six percent of the working Americans surveyed late last year by consulting firm Willis Towers Watson said that they would defer a greater percentage of salary than they currently do if their potential retirement benefits were upgraded, and 61% said that they would increase their plan contributions if they were offered a guaranteed benefit, in the manner of a traditional pension.
The quality of employer-sponsored retirement plans appeared to matter more to the respondents than the quality of group health benefits, because just 36% of them indicated that they would trade more of their pay for an improved workplace health care plan. Retirement benefits even mattered more to them than time off: only 58% said that they would surrender equivalent compensation in exchange for more personal and vacation time. One finding from the survey also amounted to a memo to American companies: 43% of the respondents noted that their workplace retirement plans did not give them enough options or flexibility.(1)
Staying Put After 60 Sounds Good
Every year, there are annual lists of the “best places to retire.” Today’s seniors may be ignoring them. One new study identifies “home sweet home” as the most popular retirement destination of all.
United Income, a money management firm, just released an in-depth analysis of federal government and think-tank data titled The State of Retirees. It finds that older Americans are less transitory than they once were: since 1980, the number of retirees who have moved within the past five years has shrunk from 23% to 15%. Just 1% of moving retiree households in 2015 relocated to another state. Retirees are also more suburban than they were in the 21st century: about half live in such communities, a 40% increase over 40 years ago. As noted retirement researcher (and United Income CEO) Matt Fellowes notes in the study, “[the] retired population is likely choosing to stay near friends, family, and the cultural attractions, like sporting teams and theaters, that they have come to know well.” Aging in place feels easier and probably seems cheaper.(2)
On the BRIGHT SIDE
In polling 9,760 retiree households, the BlackRock Retirement Institute and Employee Benefit Research Institute recently found that retirees of “medium” wealth had an average of 77% of their non-housing assets left 18 years into retirement.(3)
This material was prepared by MarketingPro, Inc., and does not necessarily represent the views of the presenting party, nor their affiliates. This information has been derived from sources believed to be accurate. The publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting or other professional services. If assistance is needed, the reader is advised to engage the services of a competent professional. This information should not be construed as investment, tax or legal advice and may not be relied on for the purpose of avoiding any Federal tax penalty.
Citations.
1 – fool.com/investing/2018/05/10/survey-most-us-workers-would-pay-more-for-better-r.aspx [5/10/18]
2 – nextavenue.org/retirees-never-better-united-income-report/ [5/3/18]
3 – chicagotribune.com/business/ct-biz-retirees-spending-20180102-story.html [1/2/18]
4 – tinyurl.com/ycsm9ubj [4/18/18]
MONTHLY NEWS AND INFORMATION FOR CURRENT AND FUTURE RETIREES
Would You Pay More for a Better Employee Retirement Plan?
If that trade-off sounds worthwhile, rest assured you are not the only one who feels that way. Sixty-six percent of the working Americans surveyed late last year by consulting firm Willis Towers Watson said that they would defer a greater percentage of salary than they currently do if their potential retirement benefits were upgraded, and 61% said that they would increase their plan contributions if they were offered a guaranteed benefit, in the manner of a traditional pension.
The quality of employer-sponsored retirement plans appeared to matter more to the respondents than the quality of group health benefits, because just 36% of them indicated that they would trade more of their pay for an improved workplace health care plan. Retirement benefits even mattered more to them than time off: only 58% said that they would surrender equivalent compensation in exchange for more personal and vacation time. One finding from the survey also amounted to a memo to American companies: 43% of the respondents noted that their workplace retirement plans did not give them enough options or flexibility.(1)
Staying Put After 60 Sounds Good
Every year, there are annual lists of the “best places to retire.” Today’s seniors may be ignoring them. One new study identifies “home sweet home” as the most popular retirement destination of all.
United Income, a money management firm, just released an in-depth analysis of federal government and think-tank data titled The State of Retirees. It finds that older Americans are less transitory than they once were: since 1980, the number of retirees who have moved within the past five years has shrunk from 23% to 15%. Just 1% of moving retiree households in 2015 relocated to another state. Retirees are also more suburban than they were in the 21st century: about half live in such communities, a 40% increase over 40 years ago. As noted retirement researcher (and United Income CEO) Matt Fellowes notes in the study, “[the] retired population is likely choosing to stay near friends, family, and the cultural attractions, like sporting teams and theaters, that they have come to know well.” Aging in place feels easier and probably seems cheaper.(2)
On the BRIGHT SIDE
In polling 9,760 retiree households, the BlackRock Retirement Institute and Employee Benefit Research Institute recently found that retirees of “medium” wealth had an average of 77% of their non-housing assets left 18 years into retirement.(3)
This material was prepared by MarketingPro, Inc., and does not necessarily represent the views of the presenting party, nor their affiliates. This information has been derived from sources believed to be accurate. The publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting or other professional services. If assistance is needed, the reader is advised to engage the services of a competent professional. This information should not be construed as investment, tax or legal advice and may not be relied on for the purpose of avoiding any Federal tax penalty.
Citations.
1 – fool.com/investing/2018/05/10/survey-most-us-workers-would-pay-more-for-better-r.aspx [5/10/18]
2 – nextavenue.org/retirees-never-better-united-income-report/ [5/3/18]
3 – chicagotribune.com/business/ct-biz-retirees-spending-20180102-story.html [1/2/18]
4 – tinyurl.com/ycsm9ubj [4/18/18]
