Nevin's Data "Points"

I was discussing the subject of retirement over the long holiday weekend with family.  There was a lot of talk about Social Security (or the looming lack thereof), the impact(s) of inflation, and how the markets (stock and housing) had boosted prospects, but ultimately decided we weren’t sure when that would happen, we weren’t even positive that it  would  happen (the so-called “ great resignation ” notwithstanding), or if it might consist of a gradual slowdown/pullback. Moreover, we really didn’t know what “it” would be like if and when it did happen, or where we might be living even if and when. Finally—it had been a pretty hectic week, after all—I somewhat playfully suggested that the best definition of retirement would be the absence of time-critical deadlines and Zoom meetings. Ah, now  that’s  something to look forward to! However, and as those who are already ensconced there can attest, retirement has its own set of pressures, and they go wel...

Several years back the concept of “wellness” crept into benefits planning. More recently, HR’s affinity for that wellness concept has been expanded upon by the concept of financial wellness. But as appealing as the notion is, a number of key questions linger. With regard to wellness generally, the notion was simple: Rather than just treating the symptoms of poor health with insurance-funded trips to the doctor (or the hospital) after the damage was done, we’d get ahead of things by emphasizing healthy habit steps (smoking cessation, weight loss, etc.) programs that would reduce doctor bills (and insurance premiums). As regards financial wellness, the notion is that bad financial health contributes to (and/or causes) a bevy of woes: stress, which can lead to things like lower productivity, bad health and higher absenteeism, and even a greater inclination toward workplace theft, not to mention deferred retirements by workers who tend to be higher salaried and who have higher health...