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life expectancy

Friday’s need-to-know money news

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Today’s top story: The upsides to thinking about when you will die. Also in the news: The upside to ETFs, how debt collectors are invading social media, and 6 financial military benefits for service members and veterans.

The Upsides to Thinking About When You Will Die
A good life expectancy estimate helps you know how much to save, when to retire and when to start Social Security.

Sure, Stocks Are Fun. But ETFs Are Smart
Diversify.

Debt Collectors Can Find You on Social Media Now
Debt collectors are sliding into your DMs.

6 Financial Military Benefits for Service Members and Veterans
Military members and their families have access to special benefits, and new rules make these programs even more valuable.

The upsides to thinking about when you will die

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Social Security’s life expectancy calculator predicts I’ll live to about 86. An insurance company’s version says I should expect to die at 98. A longevity calculator created by actuaries demurs, putting the odds at only 32% that I’ll make it to 95.

Eventually, I’ll find out which life expectancy calculator was most accurate. In the meantime, the different results help illustrate one of the most important and difficult calculations in retirement planning: figuring out when it will end.

In my latest for the Associated Press, why life expectancy matters.