Brian J. O'Connor

A new study titled “How Much Do People Value Annuities and Their Added Features?” from the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College finds that while just 12% of investors with assets of more than $100,000 open an annuity, more than 50% of investors who could benefit from a simple annuity don’t buy one because… Read more…

There’s been an ongoing debate about whether retirees should abandon the “4% rule” for withdrawals from retirement accounts, a retirement income rule of thumb for decades. The market volatility of recent years made that rule suspect for many new retirees, but a new study from Morningstar finds that the rule can still apply. Do you… Read more…

A recent survey of employers from the Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI) uncovered a major shift taking place among American companies and their workers. Instead of putting retirement readiness at the top of their list of financial concerns, they’re increasingly becoming more worried about cost of living. This shouldn’t come as a total surprise, considering… Read more…

Estate planning usually involves determining how to pass assets on to younger generations. But instead of leaving a piece of real estate, bank account or burgeoning stock portfolio to your children, the smarter tax move might be to leave those assets to your parents. That’s the crux of a clever tax minimization strategy known as… Read more…

Low- and middle-income workers who aren’t covered by a workplace retirement savings plan would get access to the federal Thrift Savings Plan, under a bipartisan bill introduced in the U.S. Senate recently. “Americans who work hard their entire lives deserve to retire with dignity,” Sen. John Hickenlooper, D-CO, said in a statement. “This bill helps… Read more…

Managers of 401(k) and similar workplace retirement plans are putting an increasing amount of money in private real estate investments, including commercial real estate funds and real estate investment trusts. This news comes according to a 2023 survey from the Defined Contribution Real Estate Council. In fact, as of Dec. 31, 2022, $59.1 billion was… Read more…

If you’re looking to build a long-term retirement account relationship with a specific financial advisor or company, you may want to check out the firm’s digital app before you move your money. That’s the upshot of the J.D. Power 2023 U.S. Retirement Plan Digital Experience Study. In fact, the report found that customers who are… Read more…

An unpredictable economy and unforeseen life events can create a “financial vortex” that makes it difficult to save over the long term and invest for retirement, according to a recent survey from Goldman Sachs. The list of volatile economic factors won’t surprise anyone living in today’s economy who’s experiencing higher interest rates, inflation and the… Read more…

It won’t come as a surprise that when investors talk to their financial advisors, their top concerns these days are focused on inflation, market volatility and the possibility of a recession. And while any investor wants to maximize their gains, recent research published by the Insured Retirement Institute (IRI) indicates that right now, investors are… Read more…

When choosing among the mutual funds, target-date funds and other investments offered in a 401(k) plan, nobody sets out to select a costly investment that could affect their future. But, according to law professors Ian Ayres of Yale University and Quinn Curtis of the University of Virginia, that’s often exactly what can happen. Taking personalized… Read more…