Once a universal feature of human psychology, the “unhappiness hump” in midlife has disappeared, replaced by a new trend: mental health is worst in youth and improves with age. Data from the U.S., U.K., and dozens of countries suggest today's young people are driving this shift, facing deeper struggles than previous generations.
Before COVID-19, we thought that when a serious pandemic struck, it would be a wake-up call. Americans would see the virtues of scientific expertise, medical research, and public health preparedness and give them stronger political support from then on. Instead, the effect was somehow to undermine trust in science, government, and public institutions.
Independent rural hospitals are increasingly joining what are called clinically integrated networks, collaborative groups that allow them to avoid selling out to larger health systems while sharing resources to save money and improve patient care.
By the time they reach age 55, over half of the physician population can expect to be a millionaire. That kind of growth attracts attention, and not always the good kind. In fact, over 80% of high-net-worth ($5 million+) individuals believe their wealth makes them a target for litigation. Are you one of them?
Investing sometimes can feel like a game of chess. Things follow some basic rules, but the rules are so flexible as to allow an enormous amount of variation. Yet, if people play enough games, they tend to get better because they memorize past moves that proved successful.
We have never seen companies like this before that are this big and efficient with such high profit margins. But the market knows this and it sure seems like it's more or less priced in at this point. Just look at the earnings and revenue surprises from Nvidia over the past few years.
Gold could serve as a hedge for investors as President Trump continues his push to take political control of the quasi-independent Federal Reserve, analysts at Goldman Sachs say. The bank says the metal could hedge the increased inflation, currency weakness, and poor stock and bond performance typically associated with central banks run by politicians.
The concept of diversification is even more critical at modest levels of wealth. And the same goes for taking a buy-and-hold approach rather than trying to move between stocks/bonds/cash at exactly the right times. If you don't have any money that you can afford to blow up, it makes sense to just pick an asset allocation that's suited to your risk tolerance, and then stick with it.
Marriage may be the union of two people becoming one, but in retirement, that math doesn't work. In this instance, one becomes two. That's because every financial decision you make with your retirement savings doesn't just affect you. It affects your spouse, too. And the two of you likely won't share the same timeline, health needs or lifestyle preferences as you age.
It's not hard to see why many couples avoid estate planning. Talking about money—today, in the present sense—is hard enough. We often encourage couples to focus on positive shared goals for their future and then back into what they need to do to accomplish them. But estate planning doesn't feel that way.
Back in the 1980s, the term DINK, an acronym for dual income, no kids, became shorthand for couples living the good life. Two professional paychecks, zero daycare bills, and all the freedom to travel, dine out, and live life large. Kids definitely push out retirement, but by how far? And what does the math look like for those with no kids, or just one?
Compared to workers in most other high-income countries, Americans tend to work more hours per year. An American worker is at 1,811 hours/year, while a German worker is at 1,340 hours/year. If one thinks in terms of 40-hour work weeks, the German worker is working about 12 weeks per year less. Here's why.
The 9-9-6 rise-and-grind ethos is very much a thing in the SF tech scene right now. Most of the “9-9-6” 12-hour daily grind is a consequence of context switching, procrastination, waiting on replies/feedback from others, and doing things that “look like work” rather than being a requirement for quality results.
When it comes to pursuing FIRE, your choice of where you practice can either accelerate or stall your progress. Compensation, cost of living, tax policy, and quality of life all vary widely across the U.S., and when taken together, they reveal some clear winners and surprising pitfalls. Understanding how these factors interact is key to optimizing your path to financial freedom.
