Nevin's Data "Points"

  There’s something about a birthday that ends in zero that hits differently. And I have one of those this week. I’ve spent more than half my professional life thinking, writing, and talking about retirement — how people get there, how they prepare (or don’t), and what it all means when work finally loosens its grip. And yet, when you hit a milestone like this, “theory” gets very personal very fast. Truthfully, this isn’t what I thought “this” would feel like. Not dread. Not triumph. Just … different. Though lately, I’ve been thinking about it more than I expected. See, it’s not just another candle (you’d have to forewarn the local fire department). It’s a checkpoint. A round number that invites reflection whether you ask for it or not. Sure, it’s just another year. But it’s a whole other category of living. That said — and I’m happy to be able to say this — I don’t “feel” my age. [i]  Or what I thought it would be like to be this age. What I am starting to feel — though only ...

  Words are funny things. They can entertain, elucidate, inform — and yes, sometimes mislead. It is, of course, one of the reasons that I have long sought to see the actual questions asked in surveys that purport to convey opinions, not to mention the actual data/results behind those assertions, which can hide behind other malleable labels like “some,” “many,” or even “most.” They can also be a result of what I’ll term “malleable” opinion/assessment labels, such as “might” or “somewhat” or “it depends.”    For example, a recent survey claiming that participants [i]  were enthusiastic about gaining access to private markets contained the following statement: "Many believe private markets can provide potential growth and diversification in their portfolios…" However, in this case (looking at the actual findings) “many” appears to be…36%. [ii] The report continues to explain that “…while others are interested but want more information… here the number actually is h...

  You might have missed it (I nearly did), but January has been declared “National Financial Wellness Month.” The designation (apparently, it’s been so designated since 2011 or thereabouts) is meant to create a time where we’re all encouraged to pay closer attention to our financial well-being. Which, considering that we’ve just emerged from a season of what for many is one of “overspending,” January seems either a good time — or perhaps two months too late. Seriously, while the numbers are modest, surveys (conducted primarily by those promoting or supported by promoters of those services) routinely show that some workers want [i]  —  and even expect —  financial wellness type support from their employers. Not surprisingly, there are employers willing to accommodate this assumption, though —  depending on employer size, location, and source —  fewer than half do, with larger employers notably more likely to do so. And that’s with a truly fluid definition of...

  A new report claims that Americans lost nearly $1,000 last year due to a lack of financial literacy — and while that was less than the year before, the data seems a little . . . squishy. The  report  comes from the National Financial Educators Council, [i]  which has been conducting this particular survey for several years now. [ii]  They drew their conclusion from a survey of some 1,200 American adults between Dec. 24 and Dec. 28 who responded to the question,  "During the past year (2025), about how much money do you think you lost because you lacked knowledge about personal finances?" Now, I’ve previously commented on the inherent unreliability of surveys based on self-reporting of financial matters — and this one, taken in the midst of the holiday season (and the aftermath of Christmas unwrapping) is surely no exception. Moreover, year-over-year comparisons of COMPLETELY different groups of people surely can’t be considered a reliable-trends benchmark...

   I recently did a roundup of some of the most significant retirement-related events of 2025. Then Jack VanDerhei, PhD fed that column through ChatGPT applying the style that famed humorist Dave Barry takes with HIS annual Year-in-Review. The result follows... Enjoy! The Year in Retirement Plans: 2025 By someone who survived it and would like credit By almost any measure, 2025 was a remarkable year for retirement plans, largely because it managed to be historically consequential without passing a single massive, system-rewriting law. This is unusual in the same way it is unusual when your roof collapses even though no meteor hit it. There was no SECURE Act sequel. No Pension Protection Act reboot. Congress flirted with something called the One Big Beautiful Bill , then decided retirement plans should sit this one out, possibly because they were tired. Instead, 2025 delivered something far more subtle and far more exhausting: implementation problems, interpretive confu...