September 23, 2015

Teachers And Savings

By Bellwether

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In U.S. News & World Report I take a look at the hurdles today’s teachers face in saving for retirement:

Last week, everyone had a good time mocking an article in Elite Daily (yes, it’s real) about why saving money in your 20s won’t let you live a meaningful life of self-discovery. The author poignantly noted, ”When you have something to bank on, you have nothing to reach for.”

Precious. There really are so many ridiculous lines throughout the article that this entire column could just be pull quotes from it – and you’d laugh all the way through..

…Saving for retirement, though, is no joke. Especially for America’s teachers, who are being sold a retirement idea that is just as misleading as the idea – espoused by Elite Daily – that partying is some sort of human capital investment that will pay off in big raises down the road.

Teachers – who are America’s largest group of college-educated workers – are told they are trading lower salary today for retirement benefits that are more generous than most workers enjoy tomorrow. In practice, teacher pay varies widely, so it’s best to ignore sweeping statements about how teachers are paid. But it’s pretty clear the retirement side of that bargain is not working for most teachers…

No stock tips, sorry, (although you might want to steer clear of rare coins) but you can read more on how teacher pensions do and don’t work right now.  Tweet your retirement savings tips to me @arotherham.

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