J.P. Morgan Asset Management’s 2025 Guide to Retirement includes a chart illustrating how investors describe their investment risk tolerance at different ages, scaled from 1 to 5. Conservative Moderately Conservative Moderate Moderately Aggressive Aggressive Those at a 1 were mostly in bonds, whereas those at a 5 were most likely 100% in stocks. The numbers were paired with age, and the data showed that overall risk tolerance seems to peak around age 55. From that point, folks begin sliding from aggressive (4s and 5s) into more conservative camps. While that might be expected, a more surprising revelation was that investors…

The Original Purpose of Social Security: A Three-Legged Stool Social Security is a cornerstone of the United States’ social safety net. Many Americans depend on this program to fund their retirement. The most recent data available from the Social Security Administration highlights the program’s critical role in retirement planning. Social Security benefits account for approximately 30% of the income for individuals ages 65 and older. Retirement income was envisioned as a three-legged stool consisting of pensions, personal savings, and Social Security, each contributing one-third. The program was never intended to serve as the primary source of retirement income. Many Lower-Income…