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Navigating The New Normal
How do you gain strategic clarity when your crystal ball is cloudy?
by Jill J. Johnson, MBA
Today’s business climate continues to be exceptionally complex and volatile. Even as we move into this “new normal” environment, we no longer have the luxury of being able to take for granted that shifting trends will be visible or that customer needs will be stable. Now is the time to clarify what is required to…
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Beginning To See Greater Interest In Sustainable Investing Across Generations
Most Americans believe they will gain more returns when invested in sustainable funds
According to Schroders Global Investor Study 2020*, higher returns, rather than just the positive societal and environmental impacts are driving Americans’ adoption of investing in sustainable funds, with 55% of Americans being more likely to invest in sustainable funds for their more attractive return profile. This study of more than 23,000 people who invest from…
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Small Businesses Remain Resilient Amid Pandemic
By adapting and making major changes to their operations such as increased use of technology
Amid this year's historic coronavirus pandemic, businesses are adapting by making major changes to their operations including increased use of technology, according to the latest PNC semi-annual survey of small and mid-size business owners and executives, which concluded Sept. 8.
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Number of Americans Living Paycheck to Paycheck on Decline Despite Pandemic
A good sign during a time when financial security is a major issue for many
Nearly 69 percent of individuals in America would experience financial difficulty if their paychecks were delayed for a week, according to results from the 2020 "Getting Paid In America" survey conducted by the American Payroll Association (APA). This is a decrease from the 74 percent of individuals who indicated they were living paycheck to paycheck…
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The Era of Big Government is Upon Us
In which governments take a more direct and proactive role in economic policy and management through fiscal policy
A new era of big government has begun and is likely to remain underway for decades to come, according to analysis from the global macro research team at Insight Investment, a world-leading defined benefit investment manager with $909bn under management, which includes assets managed for approximately 23 million plan participants across the world.
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Knowledge Gaps That May Be Costing Life Insurance Policyholders
2020 Life Settlement & Retirement Survey finds 43% of policyholders do not know they can sell their life insurance
Harbor Life Settlements, a company dedicated to helping people unlock the value of their life insurance by making the life settlement process straightforward and transparent, today announced the key results of its 2020 Life Settlement & Retirement Survey. Harbor Life conducted a national survey of 1,702 U.S. adults to better understand people’s knowledge of life…
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True Unemployment Effects on US States Masked by Workforce Exits
Challenging their ability to manage through the crisis
In addition to large swings in headline unemployment figures this year, material labor force exits are complicating the picture for US states. Certain states have seen an outsized proportion of their populations drop out of the labor force since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, clouding an already high and uncertain unemployment landscape, says Fitch…
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Impact of COVID-19 On Pension Plan Actuarial Experience And Assumptions, Including Mortality
Effects on the economy, workforce patterns & plan budgets are significant
COVID-19 is responsible for over 200,000 deaths in the U.S. as of the date of publication of this issue brief, according to Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. While these deaths have been concentrated more heavily among those over age 65 so far, there have been deaths in all age groups particularly for those who…
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Women’s Retirement Outlook Is Becoming Even Riskier Amid COVID-19
Having to balance job responsibilities as well as, in some cases, child, home, and elder care stretches women to their limits
One in four women workers (24 percent) who are employed or recently unemployed say their confidence in their ability to retire comfortably has declined amid the coronavirus pandemic, according to Women and Retirement: Risks and Realities Amid COVID-19, a study released today by nonprofit Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies® (TCRS). However, only 17 percent of…
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401(k) Savers Say They Want Help Understanding How Much They’ll Need for Retirement
Workers identify sources they will use to create a 20-year-plus “retirement paycheck”
The area where 401(k) participants say they could most use help is understanding how much they’ll need to save for retirement, according to a nationwide survey of 1,000 401(k) plan participants from Schwab Retirement Plan Services.
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The Investment Risk Pyramid: CEFs, ETFs, & Mutual Funds
Why complicate something that is already over-complicated?
by Steve Selengut
Fifty-Six years ago, in Investments 101, "Pistol Pete" Williams jumped up on the chair next to his desk, pointed his fingers at his students and proclaimed: "if you don't take the time to thoroughly understand the Investment Risk Pyramid on page xx, the big guns on Wall Street will shoot your financial aspirations full of…
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Tech Sector Slip Continues
Stocks slipped as the technology sector remained under pressure and a mid-week announcement by the Federal Reserve failed to inspire investors
The Dow Jones Industrial Average declined 0.03%, while the Standard & Poor's 500 fell 0.64%. The Nasdaq Composite index dropped 0.56% for the week. The MSCI EAFE index, which tracks developed overseas stock markets, rose 0.75%
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Families Are Talking More Frequently During the Pandemic, But Not So Much About Finances
And in this new drastically altered world of ours, the issue is vital
In an era of social distancing, people are connecting with loved ones in record numbers, whether through FaceTime, Zoom or audio calls—but finances aren’t usually part of the conversation. Today’s new reality prompted Lincoln Financial Group (NYSE: LNC) to launch its new ad campaign, “Now You’re Talking.”
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