DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ How a peak boomer lives 'perfectly comfortably' on less than $30,000 a year after moving from Texas to tiny homes in New York and Florida
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-03 | by ( Noah Sheidlower | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Read previewSam Mitchell, 64, has a yearly income of below $30,000 a year from Social Security. It's a very different way of life from the corporate real estate job he had 15 years ago in Austin making six figures and owning five homes. "I am making a fourth of the money I was making in 2008, but nobody is going to do it." AdvertisementMoving to New York and FloridaTo start life anew, he bought a farm in Peru and built a small house. AdvertisementOnce Social Security payments kicked in, he relied on the $900 a month to get by.

Persons: —, Sam Mitchell, they're, Mitchell, It's, Keller Williams, Austin, Sancho Panza, he's Organizations: Service, Social Security, Business, Social, University of Florida, South, Southwest, Austin City, Austin Locations: New York, Florida, Austin, Ithaca , New York, Atlanta, Santa Cruz , California, Costa Rica, South Austin, Peru, Ecuador, California , Oregon, Washington, BestBuy

☆ I am self-employed. I have no idea when I will be able to retire.
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-03 | by ( Ilene V. Smith | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

I had a number in mind, but it wasn't my ageWhen I thought about retirement, I had a specific number in mind. Plus, I wanted to travel as long as I was physically able to and continue going to the theater regularly. Now, AI is changing the way everyone does business, and I'm not sure if I'm willing or able to climb the steep learning curve ahead. The final — and perhaps most compelling — reason for me to retire is so I can pursue my passions. I don't need to announce my retirement, throw myself a retirement party, or give myself a gold watch.

Persons: I'm, I've Organizations: Service, Social Security

You can opt-out at any time by visiting our Preferences page or by clicking "unsubscribe" at the bottom of the email. This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. Indeed, Florida hosts some of the best spots to retire, according to a new ranking from real-estate website Realtor.com. AdvertisementWhile Florida is showing up and showing out, you don't necessarily have to head south to find an ideal post-career destination — your affordable retirement might just be down the Jersey Shore. Here are the top 10 spots to retire, according to Realtor.com, what it costs to live there, and what they're best known for.

Persons: —, Realtor.com Organizations: Service, Security, Business, Florida Locations: Florida, Jersey Shore

☆ A boomer couple lives on Social Security and receives $23 a month from SNAP for food: 'How are we to survive?'
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-02 | by ( Allie Kelly | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Dacus receives $854 a month, and her husband receives $1,286 a month, according to documents reviewed by Business Insider. Additionally, her household qualifies for $23 a month in SNAP benefits to buy food. "If we worked a 40-hour week from Monday through Friday with my income, it would come out to like $2 an hour," she said, comparing her Social Security income to a full-time work salary. And, if lawmakers don't intervene, the US Social Security fund is expected to dry out by the late 2030s. Sometimes, Dacus has to request an advance on her Social Security check to buy food because her SNAP benefits aren't enough.

Persons: —, Mary Dacus, Stephen, Dacus, ALICEs, — Dacus, we'll, Robinson Organizations: Service, Business, Income, Alliance for Lifetime, Survey, US Social Security, Medicare, SNAP, Social Security Locations: Robinson , Illinois, McDonald's, Blytheville , Arkansas, Dacus, Florida

☆ Buying a home in retirement: Here’s what it takes for retirees to get a mortgage
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-01 | by ( Jeanne Sahadi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Lenders’ chief focus will be on your ability to repay your mortgage with your various sources of non-paycheck income. “When you qualify for a mortgage, it’s all based on your income,” said Melissa Cohn, regional vice president at William Raveis Mortgage. That ratio falls to between 43% and 45% if you’re taking out a jumbo loan, she added. What you should consider before taking out a mortgageEven before seeking a mortgage, get a good grasp on your expected monthly income and expenses in retirement. To get the truest reading on what makes financial sense, compare mortgage expenses to your investment returns on an after-tax basis, Stork noted.

Persons: ”, Jim Stork, homebuyers, you’ve, Melissa Cohn, we’ll, Fannie Mae, ” Cohn, Cohn, Mark Luscombe, Cohen, Lori Trawinski, Trawinski, you’re, Stork, ” Stork Organizations: New, New York CNN, National Association of Realtors, William, Mortgage, Social Security, Wolters, Kluwer, Accounting, AARP Locations: New York, Illinois, Florida

☆ Fixing Social Security Is an Election Issue Nobody Talks About
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-31 | by ( Jeff Sommer | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Millions of Americans worry about Social Security — whether they will get the full retirement paychecks promised to them in years to come. And many younger people believe — incorrectly, in my view — that by the time they are ready to retire, Social Security will no longer be there for them. The latest annual Social Security Trust Funds report in May said that unless action was taken, benefit cuts of roughly 20 percent would have to start in 2033. Yet when you stop and really look at the problem, it turns out that what’s required for fixing Social Security is no big deal. It’s based on hard numbers calculated by Alicia Munnell, a Boston College economics professor who is among the nation’s premier experts on Social Security.

Persons: paychecks, Alicia Munnell Organizations: Social, Social Security Trust, Boston College, Social Security Locations: Washington

☆ How East West Bancorp has gained an edge by serving the Asian American community
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-31 | by ( Sarah Min | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

East West Bancorp shares have eked out a small gain in 2024, up 2%. Despite the heightened scrutiny around regional banks, little-known East West Bancorp has been able to pull ahead thanks to a key customer base: Asian Americans. American dream = home ownershipPart of what's helping East West succeed with Asian Americans goes all the way back to its origins. East West Bancorp was founded in 1973 as a federal savings and loan in the Los Angeles area to service the Chinese American and immigrant community struggling to obtain mortgages and business loans. East West also drives cross-border activity between the U.S. and other Asian countries, such as Thailand and Vietnam.

Persons: Alexander Yokum, Wells, Timur Braziler, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, —, Braziler, Christopher Del Moral, Niles, it's, Del, Steven Leung, Leung, CFRA's Yokum, Yokum, Dominic Ng, that's Organizations: East West Bancorp, Regional Banking, Bancorp, West Bancorp, CFRA, Federal Housing Finance Agency, East, East West, U.S, Bancorp's Locations: Southern California, U.S, United States, East, Los Angeles, Asia, FactSet, East West, New York, Beijing, China, Shanghai, Thailand, Vietnam, Washington

☆ Opinion: Trump verdict is a pyrrhic victory for Democrats
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-30 | by ( Opinion Cnn Contributors | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +14 min

CNN —CNN Opinion asked our contributors to weigh in on Trump’s conviction on 34 counts of falsifying business records. Are there really that many voters whose view of Trump as a man, or politician, could be altered by bookkeeping irregularities? How many would-be Trump voters will be swayed against him because of miscategorized business expenses? Instead of validating Trump’s narcissism, Democrats should turn the camera away from Trump and toward the American people. Democrats should make the case that Trump’s policies would decimate the middle class and that ought to be a (metaphorical) crime.

Persons: Patrick Brown, Patrick T, Brown, —, Trump, Attorney Alvin Bragg, ”, Biden, Robert De Niro, Stacy Schneider, Rikers Stacy Schneider, Juan Merchan, Donald Trump, I’ve, Trump’s, There’s, ” Timothy C, Tim Parlatore Tim Parlatore, Michael Cohen’s, Karen McDougal, Daniels, today’s, Timothy C, Paul Begala, ’, Roe, Wade, kowtowing, Vladimir Putin, Bill Clinton’s, Clinton, Jennifer Rodgers, Judge Juan Merchan, Prosecutors, Donald Trump’s, Merchan, Will, it’s, they’d, he’d, “, Joey Jackson, Donald, Michael Cohen, Cohen, Cohen’s Organizations: CNN, Progressives, Trump, haven’t, Attorney, Republicans, Public Policy Center, Economic, Parlatore Law, LLP, Navy, Paul Begala CNN, Social Security, Democratic, Manhattan, NYU School of Law, Columbia Law School, Republican Party, GOP, Team Trump Locations: Manhattan, Washington , DC, New York, Trump, Russian

☆ The Real Reason Employers Are Refusing to Hire America's Young Men
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-30 | by ( Emily Stewart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

America's young men aren't working. The effect was driven almost entirely by young men: Unemployment went up by 2.7 percentage points for young men but by only 0.1 percentage points for young women. AdvertisementEmployers might also see young men as riskier to bring on board. Fairly or unfairly, there's a stereotype that young men are more volatile, more immature, and less responsible than their female counterparts. As for why so many young men aren't working, it's a doozy.

Persons: they're, willy, it's, Matt Darling, Darling, —, aren't, There's, Emily Stewart Organizations: Social Security, Niskanen, Unemployment, Lawmakers, Capitol, Business Locations: Washington, Oregon

☆ The Broken System That Keeps Young American Men From Getting a Job
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-30 | by ( Emily Stewart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

☆ Middle-class Gen Xers are facing a new retirement challenge: Their student loans
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-30 | by ( Juliana Kaplan | Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Using data from the Fed's Survey of Consumer Finances, the analysis finds that over a million Americans ages 55 to 64 are holding student loans, or have spouses with loans. There are a range of reasons why older borrowers might be struggling to pay off their student loans. Millennials are most likely to hold student debt with an average balance of about $35,000, and while fewer Gen Xers have student debt, their average balance is higher at about $48,000, according to TransUnion. Provisions are being rolled out by President Joe Biden's Education Department that could ease the burden of student debt on older borrowers. AdvertisementAre you a Gen Xer with student debt who is worried about retirement?

Persons: Gen Xers, Xers, Joe Biden's Organizations: Service, School's Schwartz, for Economic, Business, Fed's Survey, Consumer Finances, Social Security, Democratic, Joe Biden's Education Department, Public, Education Department Locations: Fed's

To many Americans, the 2024 election is an unwelcome contest between the felonious and the frail. Voters hear democracy is at risk, which is true but is also another potential reason for disillusionment. Yet the stakes of their choice for the basic public policies that shape their lives are huge, if less discussed. And should the permanent corporate tax cuts in that bill be kept in place even as it has become clear how little these business goodies have done for the economy? Worse, the Trump tax package will exacerbate a fiscal crisis for programs like Social Security and Medicare that are highly popular, including among Republicans.

Persons: Donald Trump, Trump, Steve Scalise Organizations: Republican House, Trump, Social Security Locations: United States

☆ This retirement planning gap is 'hidden in plain sight,' Harvard professor says
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-29 | by ( Greg Iacurci | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Yet, there's a notable lack of attention and concern given to the social aspect of retirement, experts said. It's a facet of retirement planning that's almost "hidden in plain sight," said Robert Waldinger, a clinical professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. Money is the "obvious" focus when it comes to retirement planning, Waldinger said. Put another way: "Social connections are really good for us" and "loneliness kills," Waldinger explained in a 2015 TED Talk titled "What makes a good life?" "Some people say, 'It's too late for me'" to make new social connections, Waldinger said.

Persons: Jose Luis Pelaez, there's, that's, Robert Waldinger, Waldinger, General, David Sbarra, Sbarra, It's, Yochai Shavit, Shavit, it's Organizations: Social Security, Finances, Allianz Life, Harvard Medical School, Waldinger, Harvard, TED, U.S, Laboratory, University of Arizona, Finance, Stanford University Center, Longevity, CNBC Locations: People

☆ Meet the Gen Zers maxing out their retirement savings: 'It's no longer chasing money; it's chasing time'
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-29 | by ( Jennifer Liu | In Jljenniferliu | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

And she's part of a growing class of Gen Z retirement super-savers. Many are concerned about stagnating wages in an era of skyrocketing costs of living, says Paloma Thombley, chief human resources officer at Handshake, the jobs site for college students and new grads. Gen Z prioritizes retirement benefitsGenesis Hinckley, 27, works as a business analyst for Google in Boulder, Colorado. 'It's no longer chasing money; it's chasing time'Anxiety aside, many Gen Zers see super-saving for retirement as a way to take control over an uncertain future when the built-in support systems are lacking. They learned when it makes sense to invest in a plan pre- or post-tax, how to actually invest your retirement money, and the value of compound interest.

Persons: Lillian Zhang wasn't, Zhang, Gen, Gen Zer, millennials, Gen Xers, Paloma Thombley, Zers, Thombley, Lillian Zhang, isn't, Z, Genesis Hinckley, Hinckley, Roth, TikTok Organizations: IRA, Northwestern Mutual, Social Security, Google, Genesis, YouTube Locations: Boulder , Colorado

☆ Student loan debt may prevent retirement security for millions of older workers, research finds
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-29 | by ( Lorie Konish | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The data does not include older Americans who have taken on student loan debt on behalf of their children. That includes about 14.9% of workers aged 55 to 64 and 17.3% of workers aged 65 and over, according to the research. The middle 40% of earners — with incomes between $54,600 and $192,000 — owe an average debt of $48,174. For older workers aged 55 to 64, it may take an average of 11 years to pay off their student loans, according to the research. "Older workers do not have decades of future potential work that younger workers have to repay their loans," Manickam said.

Persons: Karthik Manickam, Manickam Organizations: Schwartz, for Economic, New School for Social Research, Federal Reserve, Consumer Finance, Finance, Workers

☆ The generation that may never retire: Why some millennials are behind on savings — and how they can catch up
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-29 | by ( Jacob Zinkula | William Edwards | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +14 min

However, the average millennial reported roughly $63,000 in retirement savings so far. While millennials will need more money to retire comfortably, many are far away from the savings milestone experts suggest. What's more, the future of the US Social Security system is uncertain, and longer expected lifespans — while a positive development — will require more retirement savings. How to figure out how much retirement savings you needTiffany Bell, a 36-year-old business management professional based in Houston, didn't always take retirement savings seriously. How millennials can get their retirement savings back on trackWhile some millennials are struggling financially, it's not all doom and gloom when it comes to their retirement prospects.

Persons: Nathaniel Hudson, Hartman, millennials, Tiffany Bell, didn't, Bell, she's, they're, Chris Chen, Chen, Judi Leahy, it's, Leahy, NerdWallet, Bell —, —, X, What's, Nilay Gandhi, Roth, Rita Assaf, Assaf, Gandhi Organizations: Business, Northwestern Mutual, Pew, US Social Security, Fidelity, Financial, Citi, Wealth Management, Vanguard, Big, CFP, Roth IRA, Fidelity Investments, Savings, Hudson Locations: Portland, Houston, New York, Montana

☆ ‘It’s already highway robbery.’ Why people don’t wait to claim Social Security and what experts say
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-28 | by ( Lorie Konish | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

When it comes to claiming Social Security retirement benefits, experts agree it's generally best to delay. Yet many people still claim early — either at the earliest possible age of 62 or before their full retirement age. Those early claims result in reduced Social Security benefits for life. To get 100% of the benefits you've earned, you need to wait until full retirement age — between age 66 and 67, depending on your date of birth. Here's what experts say to the most common arguments for claiming Social Security benefits as soon as possible.

Persons: it's, you've, Warren Buffett's, David Blanchett Organizations: Social, Finance, CNBC, DC Solutions, Prudential Financial

☆ Retiring abroad can mean more bureaucracy than bruschetta. But it’s growing in popularity
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-27 | by ( Nicole Goodkind | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

But while retirees might imagine spending their golden years full of pasta and palazzos, the realities of moving abroad are much less romantic. He didn’t think retiring abroad was feasible. Packing up shopAs America’s retirement crisis grows, so too does the dream of retiring abroad. “People need to think about estate planning, which is often different abroad,” said Brett Spencer, the founder of Impact Financial, a financial advisory firm that specializes in Americans living abroad. I think that’s the reality that a lot of people probably aren’t prepared for,” said Peddicord, who splits her time with her husband between Paris and Panama City, Panama.

Persons: Laura Barnett, She’s, Chris, Chris Barnett, didn’t, Laura, “, We’ve, ”, ” Chris, there’s, won’t, It’s, Brett Spencer, ” Spencer, he’s, Italy Patience Dunbar, Charles Ippoliti, Patience Dunbar Patience Dunbar, Charles, they’ve, Patience, Giorgia, We’re, you’ll, Kathleen Peddicord, Peddicord, don’t, Jacki Dahl, Bill Dahl, Bill Organizations: New, New York CNN, US Department of Defense, CNN, Gallup, Social, Impact, Invest Overseas, “, ”, Rocky, Expiatorio Locations: New York, Kentucky, Poitiers, France, Fayetteville , North Carolina, Portugal, Aveiro, Europe, Monmouth, Italy, Arona, Milan, Oregon, Kansas, United States, Paris, Panama City, Panama, States, Reno, Guadalajara, Mexico, ”

☆ We live in Hong Kong and are returning to the US to retire. We don't have a credit score and our Social Security is minimal.
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-27 | by ( Peter Maize | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

After 35 years of living and working in Hong Kong, my wife, Wendy, and I are returning home to the US. Setting aside concerns of whether we are jumping from a frying pan into a fire (ongoing crackdown on freedoms in Hong Kong versus political ruptures in the US), we have many other issues to grapple with. We don't have credit scores or credit cardsTake, for example, our credit score: we don't have one. In Hong Kong we have always paid our bills on time and are conscientious consumers. For us, that won't be a significant amount since most of my prime employment years were spent overseas working for Hong Kong companies.

Persons: Wendy, it's, We've Organizations: Service, Social Security, Department of Motor Vehicles Locations: Hong Kong, America, LA, Pacific, United States

☆ You could score a tax break for hiring your own kids this summer — if you follow the rules
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-27 | by ( Kate Dore | Cfp | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

"If your child's income falls within the limits, they may not owe any income tax, which can be a win-win," said Lovison, who is also a certified public accountant. If your child's income falls within the limits, they may not owe any income tax, which can be a win-win. What to know before hiring your kidsBefore hiring your children, it's important to know state and federal labor laws, along with tax rules, experts say. "Some states pretty much ban you from hiring children under the age of 14 under any scenario," Lovison said. Payments to children are subject to income tax withholding regardless of the child's age, according to the IRS.

Persons: Sean Lovison, Lovison, Roth, Carol Fabbri Organizations: Social, Advisors, IRS Locations: Philadelphia, , Colorado

☆ A homeless Iowa mom of 2 is struggling to find a landlord who will accept her housing voucher before it expires. The state is making it harder by allowing landlords to discriminate against her.
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-27 | by ( Eliza Relman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

That deadline — July 11 — is imposed by the state housing authority and applies to Quinn's Section 8 housing choice voucher, which she's had for about 12 years. Iowa lets landlords refuse voucher holdersQuinn says she's contacted close to 30 landlords since March. Many have simply told her they don't accept housing vouchers. In 2021, the state passed a law barring cities and counties from protecting voucher holders from overt discrimination by landlords. A crucial but flawed benefitThe federal Housing Choice Voucher Program is the biggest — and most effective — American housing assistance program.

Persons: —, Stephanie Quinn, Quinn, she's, Charcot, Marie, Quinn doesn't, she'll, I'm, they've, Farley, I've Organizations: Service, Business, Facebook, Craigslist, Nationwide Locations: Farley , Iowa, Iowa, Washington, DC, Dubuque

☆ Self-made millionaire’s No. 1 money tip for new grads: ‘Do this for as long as you can, and you will be a multimillionaire’
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-27 | by ( Cheyenne Devon | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

How to begin investingA simple way to get started is by purchasing low-cost index funds, Sethi says. Index funds track market indexes like the S&P 500, which follows the stock performance of around 500 large U.S. publicly traded companies, such as Microsoft, Apple and Nvidia. To get started, you'll need to open a brokerage account, traditional IRA, Roth IRA or other investment account. But don't let your funds simply sit in your brokerage account. You'll need to go one step further and decide which funds you'd like to invest in.

Persons: Ramit Sethi, Rich, You've, Sethi, Roth, you've Organizations: CNBC, U.S, Microsoft, Apple, Nvidia, Roth IRA

☆ Social Security's 2025 bump is projected to be the smallest in 5 years
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-27 | by ( Cork Gaines | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The Senior Citizens League's latest projection forecasts Social Security's 2025 cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) to be just 2.66%, the lowest increase since before the pandemic. AdvertisementAccording to the Social Security Administration, the average monthly benefit in 2024 is $1,907, up about $50 from 2023. Over 67 million Americans receive Social Security. AdvertisementOver 67 million Americans receive Social Security, and an increase is not guaranteed. Since the COLA was added to Social Security benefits in 1975, there have been three years without a bump in the monthly checks.

Persons: —, Shannon Benton, Benton, Ippei Naoi Organizations: Service, The, Business, Social Security, Senior Citizens League, Social Security Administration, Senior Citizen, Social, Labor Statistics, Citizen

☆ Opinion | Debating the Best Way to Fix Social Security
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-26 | by ( ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

To the Editor:Re “Want to Fix Social Security? The Well-Off Must Accept Smaller Checks,” by Peter Coy (Opinion, nytimes.com, May 13):I find it maddening that the only solution to the Social Security Trust Fund difficulties offered by conservatives is reducing benefits. There are a number of acceptable increases that could solve the funding problems of Social Security and Medicare. Let me suggest a few: The Social Security tax stops at a relatively low income level, $168,600 annually, this year. Speaking of all of a person’s income, why is it that only “earned” income is taxed for Social Security?

Persons: Peter Coy, stiffs Organizations: Social Security Trust Fund, Social Security

☆ A year after a single mom stopped getting $500 a month through Chicago's basic income program, she's still holding down an apartment and making ends meet: 'It was every single thing that I prayed for.
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-23 | by ( Allie Kelly | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Participants across the country have told BI they spent basic income money to pay rent, afford groceries, pay off debt, and support their children. In April, Chicago announced that it will restart it's basic income program. The renewed Chicago program will join a wave of over 100 basic-income pilots that have been launched since 2019. Fisher is still worried about costs, but Chicago basic income gave her 'a brand new start'When Fisher began receiving basic income, she felt immediate relief. With basic income payments, Fisher was able to afford daily expenses and buy the clothes and shoes she and her daughter needed.

Persons: —, Jennette Fisher, Sophia, Fisher, Fisher would've, Teri Olle, Chuck E, hadn't, She's, she's, Chicago's Organizations: Service, Business, SNAP, Economic Security, Chicago, father's Locations: Chicago, City, Economic Security California

Search resuls for: "Social Security"

25 mentions found