U.S. Is Still Not Among Top 10 Countries for Retirement

Also: The IRS Is Sending Special Refund Checks to 1.6 Million Taxpayers This Month

͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌  September 27, 2022 The United States doesn’t get great grades globally when it comes to retirement. For 10 years, French investment bank Natixis has been keeping score with its Global Retirement Index. The U.S. has usually been in the top 20 best countries for retirement (except for the first year of the survey), but never cracked the top 10. Those top spots seem reserved for countries such as Norway, which took first place this year, as it did in 2017. Natixis ranks 44 countries using factors that affect financial security and material well-being, including unemployment and income inequality. The U.S.’s overall score dipped this year, driven by lower scores on measures including tax pressure and government debt, landing at No. 18 on the list. The good news is, we’re better than we used to be. In 2012, the first year of the index, the U.S. scored a dismal 23rd place. We peaked at No. 14 in 2016.  What happened? The top reason for our lower ranking is rising healthcare costs: It’s no surprise that with a fragmented health care system, the U.S. gets poor scores in health. To find out more, check out our story on the index. — Jill Cornfield, deputy editor P.S. If you got this newsletter from a friend, sign up here for email delivery to make sure you don't miss the next issue.   Timely Retirement News, Insights and Advice

The IRS Is Sending Special Refund Checks to 1.6 Million Taxpayers This Month Check your mailbox for some good news from the IRS. The agency is sending out $1.2 billion in collective refunds or credits to roughly 1.6 million taxpayers who got hit with fees for filing their 2019 or 2020 federal income tax returns late. The majority of eligible Americans are set to receive those refunds by the end of September. READ MORE

10 Cities Where Homebuyers Are Most Likely to Pay All Cash The housing market is cooling rapidly and bidding wars may be fading away, but all-cash home purchases are still more common than they were before the pandemic. New data released by real estate brokerage Redfin shows that roughly one-third of home purchases in the U.S. were bought with cash in July. That’s up from 27.5% the year before and higher than nearly any point since early 2014. READ MORE

8 Stock Market Sayings You Can Totally Ignore Here at Money we're not always so keen on taking advice from old adages. To be fair, there is wisdom in some sayings coined by legendary investors, and some classic tips can provide helpful guidance. We take a look at eight common investing sayings that financial advisors say you can ignore. READ MORE

How the Fed's Latest Interest Rate Hike Will Affect Your Wallet The Federal Reserve announced its fifth consecutive interest rate hike on Wednesday, bumping up the target federal funds rate by 0.75% to reach a range of 3% to 3.25% in its ongoing battle against inflation. It hasn't been this high since 2008. READ MORE

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