July 29, 2019

PERSONAL FINANCE, FINANCIAL WELLNESS, ANNUITIES, TAXES & FINANCIAL LITERACY

• New Study: The Magic Retirement Number Most Americans Need to Hit ; Here’s some of the surprising things Americans would sacrifice for early retirement
• Nearly 40% Of Older Households Have Spending Issues: Study ; Financial Literacy Transforms Students’ Lives. Here’s Where to Start
• 1 of 3 in Bankruptcy Have College Debt ; UPDATE: Pennsylvania school lunch debt furor ends with an apology and an announcement: free lunch for all
• Investors Are Usually Wrong. I’m One of Them. ; Another Robo-Advisor Bites the Dust
• When Gig Workers Want Benefits, Beware the Risks
• Rethinking Retirement Income ; Researchers Provide Examples for Using ‘Simple’ Retirement Drawdown Strategy
• Despite their bad rap, annuities should be part of your retirement ‘pension’ ; What Is The Best Way To Escape A Dreadful Annuity? ; Delaware insurance commissioner: We’re on the watch for sketchy annuity deals
• Today’s Congressional Hearing is a Huge Milestone in the Fight to Expand Social Security

HEALTHCARE & WELLNESS

• 4 things to know about people with persistently high healthcare spending ; Research finds connecting patients with their community could transform healthcare
• AHIP, AMA Spar Over Adding Arbitration To Surprise Medical Billing Fix 
• Despite some headwinds, healthcare deal volume remains robust
• Five Common Misconceptions About Consumer-Directed Healthcare Arrangements ; Will new Medicare Advantage services lower healthcare costs? 
• How the Eastern Cherokee took control of their health care

TECH, MEDIA & SOCIAL MEDIA

• Louisiana’s governor declares an emergency after cyberattacks on several school systems; Data breach costs continue to climb
• Using AI and Data to Improve Employee Engagement ; Wellness Platforms Provide Flexibility, Raise Data-Privacy Concerns 
• Amazon’s Rising Shipping Costs Eat Into Profits
• Justice Department OKs T-Mobile-Sprint merger, with conditions
• Why one billionaire is calling out Silicon Valley’s favorite philanthropic loophole
• Global Investors See ‘Compelling’ Opportunity in Data Infrastructure

401k, 403b, 457b, NONQUALIFIED, STATE-RUN PLANS & LITIGATION

• Preparing Employees for Retirement, a Global Comparison ; Traditional 401k Plans Offered by 93% of Employers in 2019
• 10 states with the most workers lacking access to retirement plans
• Proponents of SECURE Act now looking to piggyback on spending bills ; How to Overcome Regulatory Obstacles to Annuities in 401ks  
• St. Elizabeth Medical’s Pension Is Church Plan Exempt From ERISA

PENSIONS

• America’s Public Pensions Are Stuck In The Clouds
• House passes pension reform bill; Senate prospects uncertain; Corporations continue to shift defined benefit risk to insurers
• Milwaukee pension change a good step, Moody’s says
• Jerry Brown, his eye still on pensions, endorses candidate in CalPERS board election ; How CalPERS-Bashing Became a Blood Sport for ESG Skeptics in the Beltway
• Local legislators react to pension bill
• Choice and common sense key to solving Illinois’ pension crisis
• City of Lansing announces change in retirement plans
• Ratings agency: Pensions still a drag on NJ economy
• Senators advance effort to curb congressional pensions      

INTERNATIONAL

• Kenya Estimates Public Pension Spending to Rise 15% Annually 
• TPR Cracks Down on UK Firms Changing Names to Shirk Pension Duties ; Public sector pensions mess could lead to bigger payouts for some
• Insurers Work Toward 2021 Launch For EU-Wide Pensions

MARKETS

• Consumer Confidence Seen Rising in July — Data Week Ahead
• US Economic Growth Seen Stumbling as Trade Hits Companies
• Oil Advances as Tighter Supply Jostles With Demand Concerns 
• States that collect the most income taxes
• Eurozone prepares for interest rate cut as growth slows ; Negative Rates Are About the Only Tool Central Banks Have Left
• Smart sustainability still a nonstarter in North America
• The National Security Implications of SWFs     
• Why China’s Getting Ready to Shake Up Interest Rates ; Russia Cuts Interest Rate Again Amid Global Push for Looser Policy
• Brexit whirlwind heads toward an election or no-deal, unless EU buckles

ALTERNATIVE INVESTMENTS

• European Alternatives Industry Hits €1.62 Trillion in Assets 
• Most Hedge Funds Don’t Consider ESG Factors When Stockpicking; Sweden’s $42.3bn hedge fund industry second largest in Europe ; Radical Transparency for Small Hedge Fund That Lost Big
• Texas County makes fifth commitment to private equity/venture capital in July ; Elizabeth Warren’s Private Equity Proposal Encourages Abuses ; Private equity chiefs chafe over anti-‘looting’ bill
• IRS goes after cryptocurrency owners for unpaid taxes  ; Only 4% of Americans Prefer Cryptocurrencies As Their Long-Term Investment ; Cryptocurrencies: Practical Considerations in Insolvencies ; There Could Be A Sudden Influx Of Bitcoin Investors ;
• IRS Issues New Safe-Harbor Rule for Real Estate ; These home improvements under $25000 will return the most at resale ; Key mortgage rate dives below 4% ahead of Fed meeting on interest rates
• Family offices are set to pool investments to gain better exposure to private debt