How much should you rely on Social Security benefit estimates?

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How much should you rely on Social Security benefit estimates?
People planning for retirement should ensure that the benefit estimates provided by the Social Security Administration are accurate, writes a Forbes contributor. "Some analysts have argued for years that the SSA’s estimates systematically underestimate future benefits for most people, because the estimates use some short cuts that aren’t used when you apply for benefits and the official computation is done," writes the expert. "In other situations, the estimates could be higher than your eventual benefits."

More than half of millennials have started to cut back on their spending to save for retirement, according to Bankrate report.
Office workers play Nintendo Co.'s Pokemon Go augmented-reality game, developed by Niantic Inc., on their smartphones outside the HSBC Holdings Plc headquarters building during lunch hour in Hong Kong, China, on Monday, July 25, 2016. After debuting in the U.S. earlier this month, Pokemon Go launched in Japan on Friday and became available in Hong Kong on Monday. Photographer: Anthony Kwan/Bloomberg

Why nearly 3 in 4 women say ‘70 is the new 50’ -- but far fewer men do
A survey by TD Ameritrade has found that more women than men (73% vs. 59%) consider age 70 to be the new 50, according to this article on MarketWatch. “While women realize there are financial challenges … we really see a vast majority who see retirement as their time to focus on themselves,” says TD Ameritrade's Christine Russell, senior manager of retirement and annuities. “For years, people have been thinking, ‘I don’t want to just sit in a rocking chair and wait.’ Here, we actually see women saying, ‘Not only do I know what I don’t want; I know what I do want.'"

Strategies for maintaining a sense of self in retirement
Seniors should consider using "identity bridging" strategies to retain their sense of self after leaving the labor force for good, writes Boston University professor Kathy E. Kram for The Wall Street Journal. "Just as a physical bridge helps a person cross over a physical divide, identity bridging helps an individual maintain aspects of his or her identity while experiencing a major life transition such as retirement," the expert explains.

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