Retirees would rather be healthy than wealthy, according to a new study by MassMutual Retirement Services. Eighty percent of retirees in better health report having a positive experience in retirement, compared to only 59 percent of those in poorer health. Additionally, seven out of 10 retirees in better health feel financially secure, compared to 51 percent in poorer health. “Even in the healthiest part of retirement, better health clearly has an impact on most people’s ability to fully enjoy retirement,” said Mathew Greenwald, president of Greenwald & Associates, which conducted the survey on behalf of MassMutual. “Many of these issues will only be exacerbated for retirees as they age, which puts an exclamation point on the importance of wellness.”
In a new breakdown in disposable income, MoveHub.com found Europeans lead the world. Switzerland leads by a huge margin, where its citizens have an average of $6,300 to spend per month after all taxes have been paid, which is two to three times that of its neighbors - Germany ($2,850), France ($2,760) and Italy ($2,120). The U.S. falls in the mid-range, with an average person having disposable income of $3,258 per month (only about a sixth higher than Canada's average). But that can vary widely from state to state. In Washington D.C. the personal disposable income ($5,450) is roughly double that of residents of Mississippi ($2,650).
Ted Cruz’s announcement that he would run for president in 2016 also came with the announcement that his wife, Heidi, was leaving her prominent position at Goldman Sachs to support her husband’s presidency. Heidi was a managing director and regional head of Goldman’s wealth management unit in Houston. But going on unpaid leave means the Cruz family has to give up Goldman’s health insurance plan, forcing Cruz to go on Obamacare, which he has worked to get rid of.
There's a new online service that monitors financial advisors. Dubbed MonitorMyAdvisor.com, the service keeps tabs on disclosure information from the SEC, FINRA and state regulators regarding complaints, sanctions, arbitration hearings, tax liens, judgments, bankruptcies or any other red flags. For $9.99 a month, users are able to monitor their money managers without them knowing it.