Controlling for additional factors that influence a pre-retiree’s standard of living and ability to save, such as income, race, education, number of people living in the household, and marital status, the extent to which the independent variables influence the dependent variables will be evaluated using data from the 1995, 2004, and 2013 Federal Reserve Board’s Survey of Consumer Finances (SCF) triennial cross-sectional survey of U.S. families. Data will be compared among respondents age 35 to 64 at the time of the surveys.
Significance
Retirement planning is traditionally addressed by assessing the number of years a worker has until retirement, the amount of resources accumulated by the household, the projected annual amount of
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This study will enhance the advice financial practitioners provide to clients by exploring data that highlight a specific phenomenon preventing consumers from adequately saving for retirement. Also, understanding the roadblocks that prevent consumers from saving may lead to strategies that academics and industry practitioners can develop to assist consumers with the proper usage of debt and effective ways of eliminating debt. In addition, the proposed research intends to add to existing scholarship by examining the economic and behavioral differences of pre-retirees servicing high levels of consumer debt in comparison to pre-retirees not burdened with debt. The proposed research also contributes to the existing body of knowledge by utilizing the most recent data available to identify the reduction to the standard of living caused by debt, the significant cost of consumer debt, and debts implications on financial assets. The implications of this study may also provide insight into changes to the labor market if pre-retirees are forced to work longer than expected, in their final attempt to reduce debt prior to retirement. To this point, Li, Montalto, & Geistfeld (1996) noted that inadequacy of financial resources may necessitate re-entry to the labor force.
For academia, understanding the significance of consumer debt in relation to retirement planning may assist in the development of updated
When it comes to the data and methods, this study used the Federal Reserve Board’s Survey of Consumer Finances (SCF), which is a repeated survey that includes the information on household income and wealth holdings; the Federal Reserve conducts this survey every three years. To test the hypothesis there are
Part of the reason why financial experts like Ramsey suggest that you stay out of debt is because debt makes you vulnerable in an unexpected economic downturn. However, there’s more to this equation than just staying out of debt. You’ll need a cash cushion,
The Federal Reserve Board’s Survey of Consumer Finances (SCF) is a triennial cross-sectional survey of U.S. families. The study is sponsored by the Federal Reserve Board in collaboration with the Department of the Treasury. The survey data include information on family incomes, net worth, balance sheet components, credit use, pensions, income, and demographic characteristics (Bricker, et al., 2014). A strong attempt is made to select families from all economic levels. In addition, information is also included from related surveys of pension providers and the earlier surveys conducted by the Federal Reserve Board. Data from the Survey of Consumer Finances is utilized by the Federal Reserve and other branches of the government to conduct analysis. In addition, economic research centers utilize the SCF to conduct scholarly work (Board of Governors, 2014).
4 Statistics Canada has utilized a computer model for the purpose of gaining retirement readiness information from households. This model calculates the net replacement ratio, which is further compared with disposable income once the person has reached retirement, as well as preretirement. The replacement ratios for each household 's income is broken down, with a 75% rate being considered tolerable and low. The ideal rate, however, is above at least 95%. The small percentage of Canadians who have a readiness score that is under 75% are generally employees with a spotty employment record, or those who have not yet lived in Canada long enough for a full Old Age Security (OAS) and Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) benefit. Therefore, increasing the overall amount of household savings is going to do a lot more damage than good. This is because having savings now reduces all disposable income for the years that are spent working, while additional income for retirement that is generated will reduce the future GIS entitlement. In fact, the
The Great Recession revealed the financial vulnerability of millions of US households. In its aftermath, researchers and policymakers have turned their attention to improving the next generation’s knowledge of personal finance and its access to secure financial offerings (US Department of the Treasury 2014) (Margaret 2015). While current economic conditions appear to be showing signs of improvement, 83% of American workers continue to be impacted by personal financial issues (“2013 Research Report on Employee Financial Stress,” Financial Finesse, June 2013) (Shele 2015 p. 67). The main reason so many people have personal financial issues is because of the lack of knowledge that people have about the meaning of financial terms. If you lack knowledge or don’t fully understand financial terms there is no way that you want have personal financial issues.
The present economic influence in the United States has forced the role seniors and those in younger age groups to make modifications to their retirement strategy. For the nurse’s in this country with the economic status currently and current retirement plans, they may need to make an alterations in their retirement plan allowing for the potential of increased income. In this paper we will discuss the different phases of retirement and how those phases would effect a nurse’s retirement plan. It is critical for to start preparing for retirement early,
In the time between the end of World War II and the early 2000s, the ways consumers used debt changed significantly. However, one thing remained clear, borrowing became the new lifestyle that most Americans adopted. Borrowing allowed the average working and middle class person to purchase homes and the items that filled their interiors. It also became the fuel to a resurrecting economy. The trust between borrowers and lenders has encouraged the stimulation of the economy. Because of this, debt has played a crucial role in American history.
Americans are overly confident when it comes to finances, yet many Americans do not have a solid financial plan to ensure a financially secure future.
Evaluation: This article, posted on April 1, 2016, was originally published on TheConversation.com. Throughout the article, the author cites sources that come from 2012-2017, with the majority of them coming from 2015-2016. Moreover, these cited websites are credible, well-known, and have information that can be corroborated with other sources. Some of these sites included The Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, and a report from the Federal Reserve. Moving on, the author, Mechele Dickerson, is an expert on this topic. Dickerson received both her B.A. and J.D. from Harvard University and currently works as a professor of law at the University of Texas at Austin. Here, she teaches classes on consumer law, debt and spending to law and undergraduate students. In her current research, she explores causes and consequences of consumer debt and how the culture
So, Long Term Care Is another key component of retirement planning. Currently, people are living longer thanks to better medicines. Which, in a way this is a bad thing because these individuals typically don’t have the money to afford this. That is why first, I plan on saving extra money, so that if I do happen to outlive my money, my loved ones can have a larger inheritance. However, there are other steps that I plan on taking advantage of.
Yuh, Montalto, and Hanna (1998) investigated the determinants of the likelihood of having adequate retirement wealth for pre-retirment households. Households were included in the study if the respondent was
A major change that has transpired in America is the growth in consumer debts. Consumer debts have grown exponentially over the last decades due to the elimination of price controls that were once used by lenders to extend credit to consumers. “The elimination of those price controls changed the nature of consumer lending and consumer borrowing by providing an extraordinary profit opportunity to financial institutions and enhanced purchasing power to borrowers” (Lander 202). Whereas in the past, borrowing was done as a strategy for survival and used as a method for financial advancement, in recent times buying on credit and acquiring debts aimed at purchasing products for indulgence have become customary. Some feel that a consequence of this change has caused a substantial increase in consumer debts. On the other hand, others feel quite differently and believe that consumer debts are growing because of the inflation associated with the cost of necessities and the decrease in individual and family incomes. Per Christian E. Weller, a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress, “Data suggests that the run-up of debt is more of a consequence of economic necessities than of profligate spending” (583). Why are Americans going into debt more today than they did yesteryear? Despite the harm debts are causing the American society, Americans are going deeper into debts because of high interest rate loans and credit
Today millennials are seemingly unaware of the benefits of homeownership. I know this because of the lack of effort given by most of this group to do what it takes to become a homeowner. I currently work a supervisor at a debt collection agency here in Anchorage, AK. I see more and more individuals who seem to not car about bills that are in collections. A lot of younger consumers are seeming to hang up, not care or get overwhelmed by so many bills, especially medical. It’s very unfortunate when you know someone care about their bills and credit and just happens to get in binds. However, I find this is not the case with younger consumers. Paying bills are just not a priority it seems. I was born March 27,1989. For me when I was in high
The first step in creating a retirement plan to last at least 25 years is to set short term goals, understand good debt versus bad debt, and how to prioritize paying off debt to allow the additional income to be saved for retirement. Bad debt, such as personal loans, car loans, and credit card debt carry high interest rates, and do not represent a future investment; bad debt loses value over time. Good debt, or debt with a low interest rate, can be viewed as a future investment. This type of debt includes mortgages, business loans, and student loans (Von Tobel, 2014). Paying off bad debt first reduces high interest payments, which then can be applied to an overall retirement savings plan. Approximately 50% of credit card users carry a month-to-month balance, and are required to pay accrued interest charges. According to Ghilarducci, actual credit cards should stay home, in a hard to reach place to be used only in the case of an emergency. While it is critical to pay down credit cards, high interest loans, and avoid carrying a balance, it is also important to make solid financial decisions pertaining to good debt. Paying off a mortgage in 7 or 15 years will raise the current monthly payment, but will save money overall by qualifying for lower interest rates, and
The assumption that households like to smooth their consumption over their lifetime from year to year is the key component for the Life Cycle Hypothesis and Permanent Income hypothesis for them to actually hold. For people to be able to smooth their consumption, they have to be very forward looking and have the ability to save and borrow to compensate for income changes. The extent to which this is true has been a central idea to many economists and researchers and they all have evidence which backs up the ideas of the theories. However, there is a lot of evidence that questions consumption smoothing being realistic and true to all people in different stages of their life. To assess the vision of consumption smoothing, we shall critically assess the idea and evaluate empirical evidence that have solely focused their research on this including the retirement consumption puzzle. By looking at relevant articles and journals which are focused on the reliability of the Life Cycle Hypothesis and Permanent Income Hypothesis, we shall come to a conclusion on whether every household does infact smooth their consumption or if it is just a handful of consumers that fit a certain criteria.