Allison Schrager

It used to be a considered something of a tawdry question, although it could be flattering as well: “What’s your number?” Nowadays, your inquisitor is probably asking about retirement — as in, how much you think you need to retire. And, as it often was before, it’s the wrong question.

It used to be a considered something of a tawdry question, although it could be flattering as well: “What's your number?” Nowadays, your inquisitor

Chasing a magic number for retirement is counterproductive when steady income throughout retirement is what really matters

It used to be considered something of a tawdry question, although it could be flattering as well: "What's your number?" Nowadays, your inquisitor is probably asking about retirement--as in, how much you think you need to retire. And, as it often was before, it's the wrong question.

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics said Tuesday that the Consumer Price Index fell 0.4% in June, bringing the inflation rate over the past 12 months down to 3.5%. That’s good but not good enough. Inflation is still too high. Even with the drop in June — which was due in no small part to falling gasoline prices — inflation has averaged 3.8% over the prior three months, almost double the Federal Reserve’s target of 2%. Neel Kashkari, president of the Minneapolis Fed, recently said what everyone k

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics said Tuesday that the Consumer Price Index fell 0.4% in June , bringing the inflation rate over the past 12 months down to 3.5%. That's good but not good enough.

The median house price in Nantucket, Massachusetts, is nearly $4 million. It was just $500,000 in 1995. This sounds like a stunning increase in one of the hottest and least accessible real estate markets in the country. What’s even more stunning is the stock market: If you invested $500,000 in the S&P 500 Index in 1995, you’d have more than $8.2 million today, even more if you reinvested the dividends you earned.

The median house price in Nantucket, Massachusetts , is nearly $4 million. It was just $500,000 in 1995.

The median house price in Nantucket, Massachusetts, is nearly $4 million. It was just $500,000 in 1995. This sounds like a stunning increase in one of the hottest and least

There was a time when it seemed like housing would always pay-off, no matter how much debt you took on; and often it did. The housing bust of the global financial crisis shattered that illusion.