20 days ago
For an average single person planning to stop working at 64, a $1.2 million 401(k) account and $2,800 Social Security benefit could provide enough income to make ends meet during retirement. Widely used guidelines suggest your annual income may be around $81,600, which may or may not be more than your annual expenses. Much depends on individual circumstances, including the kind of retirement lifestyle you desire, your location and future trends of inflation, taxes and investment returns. To get a comprehensive workup of your retirement budget, take the question to a financial advisor.
Income and expenses represent the two sides of your retirement budget. Both are equally important and decisions you make regarding either can affect the overall accuracy and dependability of the budget.
You can estimate expenses by using averages for typical retirees or by considering specifics of your situation with estimate for categories such as housing, healthcare and taxes. Similarly, you can estimate future income with general guidelines or by accounting for specifics such as your personal investment preferences.
In your case, we'll start with income since we have information about that. Despite the possibility that Social Security benefits will be cut by about 20% after 2035, your $2,800 Social Security benefit can probably be relied upon. And benefits are indexed to a cost-of-living benchmark, providing protection against inflation.
Note, however, that if you wait to claim benefits, your monthly amount will increase every year until you are 70. By claiming at age 64 rather than waiting until your full retirement age of 67, you are receiving 20% less. If you wait until age 70, you'll get 24% more than at 67. And you'll receive the higher amount, adjusted annually for cost of living, as long as you live.
#Retirement #benefits
Income and expenses represent the two sides of your retirement budget. Both are equally important and decisions you make regarding either can affect the overall accuracy and dependability of the budget.
You can estimate expenses by using averages for typical retirees or by considering specifics of your situation with estimate for categories such as housing, healthcare and taxes. Similarly, you can estimate future income with general guidelines or by accounting for specifics such as your personal investment preferences.
In your case, we'll start with income since we have information about that. Despite the possibility that Social Security benefits will be cut by about 20% after 2035, your $2,800 Social Security benefit can probably be relied upon. And benefits are indexed to a cost-of-living benchmark, providing protection against inflation.
Note, however, that if you wait to claim benefits, your monthly amount will increase every year until you are 70. By claiming at age 64 rather than waiting until your full retirement age of 67, you are receiving 20% less. If you wait until age 70, you'll get 24% more than at 67. And you'll receive the higher amount, adjusted annually for cost of living, as long as you live.
#Retirement #benefits
2 months ago
One problem in the artificial intelligence industry that just doesn't seem to be going away: Companies still aren't saying new AI tools are making them more profitable.
"While it's easy to find anecdotal examples of AI-driven margin gains or cost-cuts, economically meaningful implementation seems uneven at best," Barclays strategist Venu Krishna wrote in a note on Thursday.
"While nearly half of all companies talked about AI [on recent earnings calls], only 12% were willing to quantify AI-related value capture," Krishna added. "Of those, tech, financials, and healthcare companies were over-indexed at 68% of the total. The average reported gain in operational efficiencies seems impressive at first blush at 56%, but these ******* sments have not meaningfully changed over the last three years of LLM advances, calling their precision into question."
Krishna noted that Meta's (META) AI tools delivered an 8.3% increase in Facebook ad clicks and a 15.7% uplift in conversions.
Online pet care retailer Chewy (CHWY) is targeting $50 million in cost savings in fiscal year 2027 through AI deployed across fulfillment and customer service.
#cost #barclays
"While it's easy to find anecdotal examples of AI-driven margin gains or cost-cuts, economically meaningful implementation seems uneven at best," Barclays strategist Venu Krishna wrote in a note on Thursday.
"While nearly half of all companies talked about AI [on recent earnings calls], only 12% were willing to quantify AI-related value capture," Krishna added. "Of those, tech, financials, and healthcare companies were over-indexed at 68% of the total. The average reported gain in operational efficiencies seems impressive at first blush at 56%, but these ******* sments have not meaningfully changed over the last three years of LLM advances, calling their precision into question."
Krishna noted that Meta's (META) AI tools delivered an 8.3% increase in Facebook ad clicks and a 15.7% uplift in conversions.
Online pet care retailer Chewy (CHWY) is targeting $50 million in cost savings in fiscal year 2027 through AI deployed across fulfillment and customer service.
#cost #barclays
2 months ago
Some offers on this page are from advertisers who pay us, which may affect which products we write about, but not our recommendations. See our Advertiser Disclosure.
Depending on who you ask, indexed universal life (IUL) insurance is either a powerful wealth-building strategy or an overly complicated insurance product that promises more than it delivers. However, the truth could lie somewhere in the middle.
An IUL is first and foremost a life insurance policy. Like other permanent life insurance products, it can provide lifelong coverage and build cash value over time. But what makes it different is how that cash value grows. Instead of earning a fixed interest rate, it's tied to the performance of a stock market index, such as the S&P 500.
Here's how indexed universal life insurance works, who it may be a good fit for, and what to know before buying a policy.
Indexed universal life insurance is a type of permanent life insurance that combines a death benefit with a cash value account. As long as the policy stays in force, your beneficiaries receive a death benefit when you die, and part of the premiums you pay has the potential to grow inside the policy over time.
#value #permanent
Depending on who you ask, indexed universal life (IUL) insurance is either a powerful wealth-building strategy or an overly complicated insurance product that promises more than it delivers. However, the truth could lie somewhere in the middle.
An IUL is first and foremost a life insurance policy. Like other permanent life insurance products, it can provide lifelong coverage and build cash value over time. But what makes it different is how that cash value grows. Instead of earning a fixed interest rate, it's tied to the performance of a stock market index, such as the S&P 500.
Here's how indexed universal life insurance works, who it may be a good fit for, and what to know before buying a policy.
Indexed universal life insurance is a type of permanent life insurance that combines a death benefit with a cash value account. As long as the policy stays in force, your beneficiaries receive a death benefit when you die, and part of the premiums you pay has the potential to grow inside the policy over time.
#value #permanent
2 months ago
Some offers on this page are from advertisers who pay us, which may affect which products we write about, but not our recommendations. See our Advertiser Disclosure.
Depending on who you ask, indexed universal life (IUL) insurance is either a powerful wealth-building strategy or an overly complicated insurance product that promises more than it delivers. However, the truth could lie somewhere in the middle.
An IUL is first and foremost a life insurance policy. Like other permanent life insurance products, it can provide lifelong coverage and build cash value over time. But what makes it different is how that cash value grows. Instead of earning a fixed interest rate, it's tied to the performance of a stock market index, such as the S&P 500.
Here's how indexed universal life insurance works, who it may be a good fit for, and what to know before buying a policy.
Indexed universal life insurance is a type of permanent life insurance that combines a death benefit with a cash value account. As long as the policy stays in force, your beneficiaries receive a death benefit when you die, and part of the premiums you pay has the potential to grow inside the policy over time.
#life #universal #products #permanent
Depending on who you ask, indexed universal life (IUL) insurance is either a powerful wealth-building strategy or an overly complicated insurance product that promises more than it delivers. However, the truth could lie somewhere in the middle.
An IUL is first and foremost a life insurance policy. Like other permanent life insurance products, it can provide lifelong coverage and build cash value over time. But what makes it different is how that cash value grows. Instead of earning a fixed interest rate, it's tied to the performance of a stock market index, such as the S&P 500.
Here's how indexed universal life insurance works, who it may be a good fit for, and what to know before buying a policy.
Indexed universal life insurance is a type of permanent life insurance that combines a death benefit with a cash value account. As long as the policy stays in force, your beneficiaries receive a death benefit when you die, and part of the premiums you pay has the potential to grow inside the policy over time.
#life #universal #products #permanent
2 months ago
Some offers on this page are from advertisers who pay us, which may affect which products we write about, but not our recommendations. See our Advertiser Disclosure.
Depending on who you ask, indexed universal life (IUL) insurance is either a powerful wealth-building strategy or an overly complicated insurance product that promises more than it delivers. However, the truth could lie somewhere in the middle.
An IUL is first and foremost a life insurance policy. Like other permanent life insurance products, it can provide lifelong coverage and build cash value over time. But what makes it different is how that cash value grows. Instead of earning a fixed interest rate, it's tied to the performance of a stock market index, such as the S&P 500.
Here's how indexed universal life insurance works, who it may be a good fit for, and what to know before buying a policy.
Indexed universal life insurance is a type of permanent life insurance that combines a death benefit with a cash value account. As long as the policy stays in force, your beneficiaries receive a death benefit when you die, and part of the premiums you pay has the potential to grow inside the policy over time.
#indexed
Depending on who you ask, indexed universal life (IUL) insurance is either a powerful wealth-building strategy or an overly complicated insurance product that promises more than it delivers. However, the truth could lie somewhere in the middle.
An IUL is first and foremost a life insurance policy. Like other permanent life insurance products, it can provide lifelong coverage and build cash value over time. But what makes it different is how that cash value grows. Instead of earning a fixed interest rate, it's tied to the performance of a stock market index, such as the S&P 500.
Here's how indexed universal life insurance works, who it may be a good fit for, and what to know before buying a policy.
Indexed universal life insurance is a type of permanent life insurance that combines a death benefit with a cash value account. As long as the policy stays in force, your beneficiaries receive a death benefit when you die, and part of the premiums you pay has the potential to grow inside the policy over time.
#indexed
3 months ago
Benzinga and Yahoo Finance LLC may earn commission or revenue on some items through the links below.
A Texas couple built up $1.8 million across two 401(k)s, a joint brokerage account and a small pension, and they're just two years from their planned retirement date. For the past several months, their longtime financial advisor has been recommending they move a significant portion of their nest egg into a fixed indexed annuity that could pay him an upfront commission of roughly 7%.
Neither of them had thought to ask how their advisor was compensated until a friend mentioned it in passing. That simple question could help them better understand whether their advisor's incentives align with their own. The issue is not necessarily the annuity itself. It's understanding how the recommendation fits their financial goals and whether the advisor has a financial incentive to recommend one product over another.
Don't Miss:
AI Robots Have Already Fried More Than 5 Million Baskets Of Food. Everyday Investors Can Still Buy Into The Company Behind Them.
#whether #finance #neither
A Texas couple built up $1.8 million across two 401(k)s, a joint brokerage account and a small pension, and they're just two years from their planned retirement date. For the past several months, their longtime financial advisor has been recommending they move a significant portion of their nest egg into a fixed indexed annuity that could pay him an upfront commission of roughly 7%.
Neither of them had thought to ask how their advisor was compensated until a friend mentioned it in passing. That simple question could help them better understand whether their advisor's incentives align with their own. The issue is not necessarily the annuity itself. It's understanding how the recommendation fits their financial goals and whether the advisor has a financial incentive to recommend one product over another.
Don't Miss:
AI Robots Have Already Fried More Than 5 Million Baskets Of Food. Everyday Investors Can Still Buy Into The Company Behind Them.
#whether #finance #neither
4 months ago
ClearBridge Investments, a global equity manager, recently published second-quarter 2026 commentary for its "SMID Cap Growth Strategy". A copy can be downloaded here. Small and mid-cap (SMID) growth equities experienced the strongest quarter in recent memory, with the Russell 2500 Growth Index rising 24.0%, driven by enthusiasm for AI infrastructure and higher-beta momentum stocks. The Strategy delivered double-digit returns in the quarter but trailed the soaring benchmark. Underperformance was driven by underexposure to top AI infrastructure stocks as well as weaknesses in healthcare and consumer discretionary sectors. The market leadership expanded beyond mega-cap technology, indicating potential opportunities from a broader cyclical recovery and AI adoption. In addition, you can check the Fund's top five holdings to determine its best picks for 2026.
In its Q2 2026 investor letter, ClearBridge SMID Cap Growth Strategy highlighted Argan, Inc. (NYSE:AGX) as a newly added position. Argan, Inc. (NYSE:AGX) is a holding company that provides construction, commissioning, maintenance and related services to power generation market. On July 10, 2026, Argan, Inc. (NYSE:AGX) closed at $630.32 per share. One-month return of Argan, Inc. (NYSE:AGX) was -8.50%, and its shares gained 185.56% over the past 52 weeks. Argan, Inc. (NYSE:AGX) has a market capitalization of $8.84 billion.
ClearBridge SMID Cap Growth Strategy the following regarding Argan, Inc. (NYSE:AGX) in its Q2 2026 investor update:
"We added several new positions in the industrials sector indexed to AI power demands and secular growth in defense spending. Argan, Inc. (NYSE:AGX) — a leading engineering, procurement and construction firm — is positioned to benefit from a multi-year buildout in natural gas and solar power generation, limited industry competition and growing demand for new electricity generation."
Argan, Inc. (NYSE:AGX) is not on our list of 40 Most Popular Stocks Among Hedge Funds Heading Into 2026. According to our database, 42 hedge fund portfolios held Argan, Inc. (NYSE:AGX) at the end of the fourth quarter, compared to 46 in the previous quarter. While we acknowledge the potential of Argan, Inc. (NYSE:AGX) as an investment, we believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If you're looking for an extremely undervalued AI stock that also stands to benefit significantly from Trump-era tariffs and the onshoring trend, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock.
In its Q2 2026 investor letter, ClearBridge SMID Cap Growth Strategy highlighted Argan, Inc. (NYSE:AGX) as a newly added position. Argan, Inc. (NYSE:AGX) is a holding company that provides construction, commissioning, maintenance and related services to power generation market. On July 10, 2026, Argan, Inc. (NYSE:AGX) closed at $630.32 per share. One-month return of Argan, Inc. (NYSE:AGX) was -8.50%, and its shares gained 185.56% over the past 52 weeks. Argan, Inc. (NYSE:AGX) has a market capitalization of $8.84 billion.
ClearBridge SMID Cap Growth Strategy the following regarding Argan, Inc. (NYSE:AGX) in its Q2 2026 investor update:
"We added several new positions in the industrials sector indexed to AI power demands and secular growth in defense spending. Argan, Inc. (NYSE:AGX) — a leading engineering, procurement and construction firm — is positioned to benefit from a multi-year buildout in natural gas and solar power generation, limited industry competition and growing demand for new electricity generation."
Argan, Inc. (NYSE:AGX) is not on our list of 40 Most Popular Stocks Among Hedge Funds Heading Into 2026. According to our database, 42 hedge fund portfolios held Argan, Inc. (NYSE:AGX) at the end of the fourth quarter, compared to 46 in the previous quarter. While we acknowledge the potential of Argan, Inc. (NYSE:AGX) as an investment, we believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If you're looking for an extremely undervalued AI stock that also stands to benefit significantly from Trump-era tariffs and the onshoring trend, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock.
4 months ago
ClearBridge Investments, a global equity manager, recently published second-quarter 2026 commentary for its "SMID Cap Growth Strategy". A copy can be downloaded here. Small and mid-cap (SMID) growth equities experienced the strongest quarter in recent memory, with the Russell 2500 Growth Index rising 24.0%, driven by enthusiasm for AI infrastructure and higher-beta momentum stocks. The Strategy delivered double-digit returns in the quarter but trailed the soaring benchmark. Underperformance was driven by underexposure to top AI infrastructure stocks as well as weaknesses in healthcare and consumer discretionary sectors. The market leadership expanded beyond mega-cap technology, indicating potential opportunities from a broader cyclical recovery and AI adoption. In addition, you can check the Fund's top five holdings to determine its best picks for 2026.
In its Q2 2026 investor letter, ClearBridge SMID Cap Growth Strategy highlighted ATI Inc. (NYSE:ATI). ATI Inc. (NYSE:ATI) is a leading manufacturer of specialty materials and complex components, including ******* anium and ******* anium-based alloys, nickel- and cobalt-based alloys and superalloys, advanced powder alloys, and other specialty materials. On July 10, 2026, ATI Inc. (NYSE:ATI) stock closed at $187.04 per share. One-month return of ATI Inc. (NYSE:ATI) was -4.48%, and its shares gained 106.47% over the past 52 weeks. ATI Inc. (NYSE:ATI) has a market capitalization of $25.53 billion.
ClearBridge SMID Cap Growth Strategy the following regarding ATI Inc. (NYSE:ATI) in its Q2 2026 investor update:
"We added several new positions in the industrials sector indexed to AI power demands and secular growth in defense spending. ATI Inc. (NYSE:ATI) is a vertically integrated specialty materials provider with strong pricing power exposed to the attractive growth dynamics in many subsegments of aerospace and defense."
ATI Inc. (NYSE:ATI) is not on our list of 40 Most Popular Stocks Among Hedge Funds Heading Into 2026. According to our database, 69 hedge fund portfolios held ATI Inc. (NYSE:ATI) at the end of the first quarter, up from 62 in the previous quarter. ATI Inc. (NYSE:ATI) posted $1.15 billion revenue in Q1 2026, driven by 6% growth in aerospace and defense. While we acknowledge the potential of ATI Inc. (NYSE:ATI) as an investment, we believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If you're looking for an extremely undervalued AI stock that also stands to benefit significantly from Trump-era tariffs and the onshoring trend, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock.
In its Q2 2026 investor letter, ClearBridge SMID Cap Growth Strategy highlighted ATI Inc. (NYSE:ATI). ATI Inc. (NYSE:ATI) is a leading manufacturer of specialty materials and complex components, including ******* anium and ******* anium-based alloys, nickel- and cobalt-based alloys and superalloys, advanced powder alloys, and other specialty materials. On July 10, 2026, ATI Inc. (NYSE:ATI) stock closed at $187.04 per share. One-month return of ATI Inc. (NYSE:ATI) was -4.48%, and its shares gained 106.47% over the past 52 weeks. ATI Inc. (NYSE:ATI) has a market capitalization of $25.53 billion.
ClearBridge SMID Cap Growth Strategy the following regarding ATI Inc. (NYSE:ATI) in its Q2 2026 investor update:
"We added several new positions in the industrials sector indexed to AI power demands and secular growth in defense spending. ATI Inc. (NYSE:ATI) is a vertically integrated specialty materials provider with strong pricing power exposed to the attractive growth dynamics in many subsegments of aerospace and defense."
ATI Inc. (NYSE:ATI) is not on our list of 40 Most Popular Stocks Among Hedge Funds Heading Into 2026. According to our database, 69 hedge fund portfolios held ATI Inc. (NYSE:ATI) at the end of the first quarter, up from 62 in the previous quarter. ATI Inc. (NYSE:ATI) posted $1.15 billion revenue in Q1 2026, driven by 6% growth in aerospace and defense. While we acknowledge the potential of ATI Inc. (NYSE:ATI) as an investment, we believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If you're looking for an extremely undervalued AI stock that also stands to benefit significantly from Trump-era tariffs and the onshoring trend, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock.
4 months ago
Blake Lively is seeking more than $8 million (£6 million) in legal fees from Justin Baldoni.
The former Gossip Girl star has asked a federal judge to award her $8.04 million (£6.07 million) in legal fees and litigation costs following the dismissal of the defamation-related lawsuit brought against her by her It Ends With Us co-star and director.
According to court documents filed on Monday, Lively is seeking $7,495,526.87 (£5,666,993.09) in legal fees, along with a further $539,514.01 (£407,993.98) in expenses and litigation costs accrued during the lengthy legal battle with Baldoni and his production company, Wayfarer Studios.
Lively's legal team argued that the work involved in defending the lawsuit was "comprehensive and necessary to achieve the complete win that was secured", adding that the actress "has paid, and continues to pay" her legal bills, reports People.
The lawyers also said the high-profile case became even more expensive as it attracted "significant press attention, with thousands of indexed and syndicated media articles" and involved a lengthy evidence-gathering process, including more than 7,000 documents from Lively and tens of thousands more from Wayfarer Studios and other parties.
Judge Lewis J. Liman has ordered Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios to respond to the request by 13 July. He will then decide whether to award the full amount, reduce it or reject parts of the request.
The former Gossip Girl star has asked a federal judge to award her $8.04 million (£6.07 million) in legal fees and litigation costs following the dismissal of the defamation-related lawsuit brought against her by her It Ends With Us co-star and director.
According to court documents filed on Monday, Lively is seeking $7,495,526.87 (£5,666,993.09) in legal fees, along with a further $539,514.01 (£407,993.98) in expenses and litigation costs accrued during the lengthy legal battle with Baldoni and his production company, Wayfarer Studios.
Lively's legal team argued that the work involved in defending the lawsuit was "comprehensive and necessary to achieve the complete win that was secured", adding that the actress "has paid, and continues to pay" her legal bills, reports People.
The lawyers also said the high-profile case became even more expensive as it attracted "significant press attention, with thousands of indexed and syndicated media articles" and involved a lengthy evidence-gathering process, including more than 7,000 documents from Lively and tens of thousands more from Wayfarer Studios and other parties.
Judge Lewis J. Liman has ordered Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios to respond to the request by 13 July. He will then decide whether to award the full amount, reduce it or reject parts of the request.
4 months ago
Santos has executed a long-term Gas Sale Agreement (GSA) with the South Australian Government to supply 200 petajoules (PJ) of natural gas over a decade beginning in 2030, cementing a key domestic supply arrangement that underpins the state's energy security strategy.
Under the agreement, Santos will deliver 20 PJ of gas annually from March 1, 2030, through February 2040, with supply delivered ex-Moomba. The contract features indexed pricing and a prepayment structure, with first gas scheduled to coincide with the expiration of Santos' Horizon contract with the GLNG joint venture.
The deal provides a cornerstone market for gas from the Cooper Basin's Central Fields, which contain more than half of the basin's remaining proved and probable (2P) reserves. It also supports the recently approved Moomba Central Optimisation (MCO) project, in which Santos and joint venture partner Beach Energy reached a final investment decision in March 2026.
The MCO project is designed to modernize production infrastructure by replacing seven aging gas-driven compressor stations with a single electric-driven compressor station, while adding new inlet compression and power generation capacity at the Moomba Gas Plant. Santos said the upgrades will increase productivity, lower operating costs and reduce carbon emissions, while enabling more remote operations.
The agreement's prepayment mechanism will directly support capital investment in the three-year MCO development program.
Under the agreement, Santos will deliver 20 PJ of gas annually from March 1, 2030, through February 2040, with supply delivered ex-Moomba. The contract features indexed pricing and a prepayment structure, with first gas scheduled to coincide with the expiration of Santos' Horizon contract with the GLNG joint venture.
The deal provides a cornerstone market for gas from the Cooper Basin's Central Fields, which contain more than half of the basin's remaining proved and probable (2P) reserves. It also supports the recently approved Moomba Central Optimisation (MCO) project, in which Santos and joint venture partner Beach Energy reached a final investment decision in March 2026.
The MCO project is designed to modernize production infrastructure by replacing seven aging gas-driven compressor stations with a single electric-driven compressor station, while adding new inlet compression and power generation capacity at the Moomba Gas Plant. Santos said the upgrades will increase productivity, lower operating costs and reduce carbon emissions, while enabling more remote operations.
The agreement's prepayment mechanism will directly support capital investment in the three-year MCO development program.
