Millions of Americans are rethinking their plans for retirement as a result of the worsening recession. According to an article in the Wall Street Journal, one possible side effect is an increase in national service on par with the early days of the Peace Corps. »more»

And all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse. There's not a person in our Western culture alive today who wasn't brought up hearing or reading Clement Clark Moore's poem from 1823, "A Visit from Saint Nicholas." Regardless of your religious beliefs and traditions, the spirit of warmth and generosity of the season can't help but touch all but the most broken of hearts. »more»

Negative inheritance happens when the "the costs to children of caring for aging relatives outstrip any gifts or bequests they might receive in return." The phrase was coined by Laurence Kotlikoff, a professor at Boston University. »more»

Current housing woes notwithstanding, economists are looking ahead five years when the 78 million baby boomers enter their twilight years. As this happen they will increasingly become sellers of real estate which is expected to result in significant downward pressure on housing values. »more»

The Los Angeles Times writes about baby boomers using the increased equity in their homes to finance a reinvention of their lives. Notwithstanding recent housing woes, most boomers who have lived in their homes for more than a few years have a great deal of equity and are capable of using some of that to pay for a new start somewhere else. »more»

The headline from the Wall Street Journal says it all, "As Boomers Retire, Insurers Aim to Cash In." This means that baby boomers need to be prepared for the coming onslaught of marketing messages (and possibly high pressure sales tactics) to get them to buy annuities. »more»

Expenses in later life are proving to be bigger and more unpredictable than many retirees anticipated, says the WSJ in their »more»

Several recent articles about funding retirement are enough to scare even those who think they're on track to live comfortably in retirement.

The future could be one of declining portfolio and housing prices, higher taxes, slower economic growth, and increasing out-of-pocket medical costs. Baby Boomer retirees could find their savings, pension (if any), and social security won't give them the standard of living they expect. »more»

Five Tips for Baby Boomers Planning for their Retirement from the WSJ: »more»

The Treasury Department and the Federal Reserve are introducing the Countdown to Retirement campaign (http://www.godirect.org) to encourage retiring baby boomers to start depositing paychecks via direct deposit. Why does the Feb care how baby boomers get their paychecks? Because they very much care about whether or not boomers elect to use direct deposit on their Social Security checks. According to the agencies: »more»