One Big Reason to Step Away from Your 401(k)

TIMELY RETIREMENT NEWS, INSIGHTS, AND ADVICE

RETIRE WITH MONEY COMMUNITY INSIGHTS

This week in our Retire with Money Facebook group, members discussed inflation hedges--that is, ways to make sure your money keeps pace with inflation and retains its purchasing power over time. Putting your money in a bank account earning 0.01% interest isn't going to do the trick. In other words, the price of goods and services is going to rise at a faster rate than your account balance. Even though overall inflation has been low in recent years, health care inflation remains stubbornly in the 5% annual range. Some members said they hedged inflation with real estate investment trusts, or with the gold ETF. Others said they kept a healthy stock allocation. One intriguing response? "Less wants, frugal needs. My life has never changed in six decades, though I’ve slid the decimal point across a few times." That's one way to make sure you can afford what you need!

It's the Best of Times, It's the Worst of Times 

Novelist Margaret Atwood reflects on the future we can help create. TIME

A Checklist for Volatile Markets: Retiree Edition

Revisit your withdrawal rate, check your reserves, and other smart moves for retirees. MORNINGSTAR

Opinion: Thanks to COVID-19, Social Security’s Day of Reckoning May Be Even Closer Than We Thought

Lower tax receipts put strain on the program just as more people will be filing early. MARKETWATCH

Funeral Planning in the Time of Covid-19

Some families are finding meaningful new ways to grieve. NEXT AVENUE

Elizabeth O'Brien is deputy editor at MONEY. She has covered retirement and health care for nearly a decade. A Brooklyn resident and mom of two boys, she navigates the alphabet soup of Medicare and the New York City subway system with equal ease. You can email her at elizabeth.obrien@money.com and follow her on Twitter at @elizobrien.