Nevin's Data "Points"

  A recent survey of retirees found the usual litany of regrets — but I think you could sum it all up in one key point. They didn’t have a crystal ball. Oh, not that they characterized it as such. Topping their list were the usual suspects — not saving enough or not starting to save sooner — but nearly half also regretted not having clear retirement goals, underestimating health care and long-term care costs, and not planning for life's inevitable surprises. Not that there’s any sense that these unknowns have actually occurred — more so that as one gets older, the likelihood of those uncertainties becomes — well, more likely. And with less time to arrange contingencies. Or maybe you just have more time to think about it. But having read these types of surveys over the years, I can’t help but wonder if sharing those post-retirement perspectives serves to motivate any pre-retirement behaviors. My guess is — not. ad space For one thing, much of this advice is based on hindsight. It...

A new survey once again highlighted a consistent regret among American workers.  According to the survey by American Century Investments, they wish they had saved more for retirement.  Now, only about a third shared that regret—but it was more than twice the number that had regrets about career, personal relationships, not doing enough to enjoy life—not to mention “not being a better person overall.” [i] Now, we all have regrets about certain life decisions. There are regrets about that “Reply All” email that was perhaps a little  too  honest, the hours spent at work at the expense of family, perhaps the  cessation  of piano lessons, and even a (too) sedentary lifestyle and bad diet. Some we regret immediately—while some come only after the passage of time. Some we learn from—and vow never to repeat. And some—unfortunately—come too late to do anything but live with the consequences. And then there are those regrets—that could be remedied—but a...