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Savings

Saving doesn't come easily for us young adults. Entry-level salaries don't give you a lot to work with, and we tend to spend what we make. But don't worry: We're not doomed to frivolity and financial ruin. Here's how you can start saving smart.
Do you really want to work your whole life? An alarming number of workers think they'll have to -- and that number is rising. More than a quarter of workers age 50 and older expect to retire at 70 or later. Even worse, one in six Americans think they'll never be able to retire.
More ominous developments on the darkening retirement front: The total value of Americans' retirement assets stood at $17 trillion at the end of September -- a drop of 7.5% from the record high of $18.4 trillion recorded on June 30, 2011.
Good news: Retirees will get a 3.6% Social Security cost-of-living adjustment in 2012 -- their first boost since 2009. Bad news: The average benefit is $1,229 a month, about the equivalent of working for minimum wage.
A spate of recent surveys highlight the dark trends around retirement in America. More of us expect to work significantly later in life, fewer of us think we're saving enough -- and the ones who think they are are often wrong. But it may not be too late for you to take some good advice.
So your resident college student is knee-deep in student loans, tuition, fees and rent payments. But infusing her bank account will sap the funds you have earmarked for your retirement. What's a concerned parent to do? Help her start building up some savings of her own. Here's how:
For 25 years, journalist and author Laura Rowley has helped people navigate the minefield of personal finance and explored the relationship between money and happiness. In her DailyFinance column, she aims to help you make enlightened decisions about your money -- and your life. Need some advice? All you have to do is ask.
A new poll from Bankrate.com shows that only 17% of Americans feel better off financially than they were a year ago. The Financial Security Index fell from 93.9 to 92.8 in October to its second lowest level this year.
Nicholas, 60, is a paralegal who has been jobless for more than a year, and is worried about the possibility of losing his home in rural Pennsylvania. If he depletes his savings and cashes out of a life insurance policy, he can pay off his mortgage. But is that the smartest move?
Jack, 70, is still working full-time at an environmental agency for the state of Tennessee, earning $60,000 a year. He has no debt, and a good amount of savings, and an income property. What he doesn't have is a clear picture of whether he's in a good position to retire.

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