Health

The odds of financial success in retirement for the typical American household are less than ten percent.

This is based on the financial profile of an American household that would be considered statistically average.  We developed the financial profile of an average American retiree in a previous article (click here to read).  

The summary of the financial profile of our hypothetical retiree--referred to as William--is as follows:

• William needs to generate $40,038 per year in after tax
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Roughly 10,000 Americans will retire each day for the next nineteen years.  Many millions of these retirees will have financial profiles that are considered statistically average.  

What, exactly, does it mean to be financially average, and what might retirement look like for the average person or household?  How might the financial aspects of retirement play-out for you, your parents, or your family and friends?  

Let’s take a look at some data sources to consider the average profile and how it may apply to your situation.  For simplicity, I’ll give the average American retiree a name – I’ll call him William.

Who is William?

Let’s lend some definition to William by building a...

Boston University Economics Professor Laurence Kotlikoff has provided a conceptual alternative to Medicare, and he is seeking support of the new health care initiative in the form of endorsements of The Purple Health Plan.

Kotlikoff provides frequent commentary on the dire state of government finances in the United States.  Health care spending and Medicare are fundamental drivers of this fiscal distress, and Professor Kotlikoff is seeking consensus on viable alternatives to Medicare.

The Purple Health Plan seeks to cap the government's liability by turning the defined benefit Medicare program into a voucher-based defined contribution system.

Additional features of the proposed health plan...

There is a strong case to be made for health care as the linchpin of retirement planning.  Virtually every...