2013 Retirement Year in Review

The year 2013 was a mixed bag for retirement savings. Account balances continued to increase, primarily due to positive results on Wall Street, but other financial pressures continued to impact many participants despite their best efforts. Here are some of the key topics and trends covered in this blog throughout 2013:

• two-thirds of savers worried about weak housing market
• rising healthcare costs in retirement expected to challenge middle class
• debt of the elderly and near-elderly becoming increasingly challenging
• smartphones and tablets making inroads as communication channels
• automated features continue to be well-received
• account balances of long-term "consistent" participants show resilience

We will continue to monitor interesting trends in 2014, and welcome comments, feedback, and topic suggestions. Happy New Year to all!!