Nevin's Data "Points"

This is the time of year when you hear a lot of talk about the “unalienable” rights of “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” And while they weren’t written with retirement plans in mind — to my ears they may describe the aspirations behind retirement better than almost anything else in American public policy.  “Life” is, of course, central to retirement planning. It defines not only the time we have to prepare financially, physically, and emotionally for retirement — but also the length of time those preparations must sustain us. ad space Granted, retirement is a relatively new and for many an as yet unexplored reality. But it’s easy to take for granted that millions of older Americans today live with a degree of financial security that previous generations often lacked. Before pensions, Social Security, and defined contribution plans, growing old frequently meant dependency — on family, charity, or continued labor.  “Liberty” may be even more directly connected to re...

It is easy, looking back, to gloss over just how remarkable was the sequence of events that made this nation’s independence a reality. The bickering and machinations of the Continental Congress in 1776 were every bit as unpleasant, and unproductive, as the worst of today’s elected officials — even though, and perhaps in some measure because, hostilities with Great Britain had officially been underway since the so-called “shot heard ‘round the world” the preceding spring. The men who gathered in Philadelphia that summer to bring together what was not yet a “new nation” came from all walks of life. Still, it seems fair to say that most had something to lose, both financially and in terms of the personal liberty they advocated as an “unalienable” right. True, many were merchants (some wealthy, including President of Congress John Hancock) already chafing under the tax burdens imposed by British rule, and perhaps they could see a day when their actions would accrue to their economic be...