Tag: Personal Finance

The Ultimate Budgeting Blueprint for Millennials and Small Business Owners

Post By Money Making

In today’s volatile economic landscape, the art of personal finance and business budgeting has never been more critical – or complex. With the right budgeting app, the once-formidable task of tracking expenses, managing cash flows, and forecasting financial futures becomes not only manageable but, dare we say, slightly enjoyable.

For Millennials navigating the intricacies of adulthood and small business owners juggling myriad operational expenses, every dollar counts. The digital sphere is teeming with budgeting apps vying for your attention, each touting its unique blend of features that promise to revolutionize your financial management strategies.

But which app is best suited for your specific needs? Fear not, as we take you on a comprehensive tour of the best budgeting apps on the market, empowering you to make an informed decision that aligns with your financial goals.

Defining Your Budgeting Goals

Before we plunge into the deep waters of budgeting applications, it’s crucial to establish your financial objectives. Are you aiming to save for a downpayment on your first home? Interested in tracking every cent to optimize personal spending? Or perhaps you’re part of a fledgling startup looking to maintain stringent control over your business’ finances. Defining your goals will serve as the North Star guiding your budgeting app selection process.

Identify Personal or Business Objectives

  • For personal finance, pinpoint whether you’re aiming to save, invest, or simply become more aware of your spending.
  • In the business realm, assess whether you need to prioritize cost control, manage multiple accounts, or track project expenses.

Determine the Level of Automation Required

  • Some users prefer hands-on manual tracking, while others covet the convenience of automated categorization and notifications.

Assess the Need for Reporting and Analysis

  • Will you require in-depth financial reports and trend analysis, or are you looking for a more simplified overview of your financial status?

 

Reviewing the Leading Budgeting App Contenders

With our goals firmly in mind, it’s time to evaluate your potential digital allies in the world of budgeting. Here are the leading budgeting apps renowned for their unique strengths:

Mint – The OG All-Rounder

  • Favored for its robust and completely free service, Mint offers a comprehensive view of your financial health, with features ranging from bill tracking to credit score checks.

You Need A Budget (YNAB) – The Proactive Planner

  • YNAB is lauded for its zero-based budgeting approach, where every dollar earns a job. This app is ideal for those who crave control and wish to allocate funds with precision.

Personal Capital – The Investment Integration

  • Targeting individuals with a penchant for personal finance management and investments, Personal Capital integrates budgeting with portfolio tracking and retirement planning.

EveryDollar – The Dave Ramsey Affiliation

  • Built on the principles of financial guru Dave Ramsey, EveryDollar emphasizes budgeting to zero along the lines of YNAB but with a slightly simpler interface.

QuickBooks – The Small Business Stalwart

  • QuickBooks caters to the more complex financial needs of small businesses, offering robust invoicing, expense tracking, and tax preparation functionality.

Wally – The Sleek and Simple

  • Best-suited for those who enjoy a minimalist interface and a straightforward approach to tracking expenses, Wally keeps budgeting pleasantly uncomplicated.

Zoho Books – For Growing Business Financials

  • With scalable features, Zoho Books provides unique solutions for growing businesses, incorporating inventory management and seamless payment tracking.

 

Understanding the Nuts and Bolts of Each App

Now that we’ve outlined the top contenders, it’s time to peel back the layers and examine the core functionality and user experience of each budgeting app more closely.

Mint’s Automated Tracking and Categorization

  • Analyze how Mint’s automatic expense tracking and categorization can demystify your spending habits and offer personalized savings tips.

YNAB’s Rule-Based Budgeting Philosophy

  • Explore YNAB’s four rules and how they translate into a more informed, controlled, and intentional way to manage your money.

Personal Capital’s Investment Portfolio Insights

  • Discover how Personal Capital’s tools can help you manage your investment accounts, plan for retirement, and gauge the performance of your portfolio.

EveryDollar’s Simplicity and Ramsey’s Principles

  • Delve into how EveryDollar adheres to the principle of every dollar having a role while maintaining a user-friendly design.

QuickBooks’ A to Z of Business Financials

  • Uncover the ways in which QuickBooks offers small business owners extensive tools for invoicing, employee management, and even tax preparations.

Wally’s Effortless Expense Tracking

  • Learn how Wally can simplify the otherwise Herculean task of tracking your spending with a few taps on your smartphone.

Zoho Books’ Scalability for Growing Ventures

  • Understand how Zoho Books’ scalable nature caters to small businesses that are expanding their operations and financial management needs.

Tailoring Your Choice to Fit Your Lifestyle or Business Model

Each budgeting app boasts characteristics that may resonate with specific lifestyles and business models. It’s time to refine your shortlist by ensuring compatibility with your day-to-day operations and long-term aspirations.

Considering User Interface Preferences

  • Do you prefer a sleek, modern interface that focuses on actionable insights, or are you more drawn to a traditional layout that provides a comprehensive financial snapshot?

Integration with Other Financial Tools

  • Check for compatibility with your banking institution, financial software, or investment platforms to ensure seamless data synchronization.

Community and Learning Resources

  • Evaluate the availability of educational content and user communities that can support your journey toward financial literacy and mastery.

Customization and Flexibility

  • Assess the level of customization each app affords, from personalized spending categories to tailored budgeting goals for different periods.

Crunching the Numbers – Free or Paid, and Is It Worth It?

Budgeting app users typically fall into one of two categories – those content with the offerings of free versions and those willing to invest in premium features. It’s essential to weigh the benefits against the costs to determine your ROI.

The Value Proposition of Free Versions

  • Assess what features are available in the free iterations and whether they suffice for your immediate needs and long-term projections.

Investigating Paid Features

  • Home in on the premium features offered by each app and consider how they may elevate your financial management experience.

Trial Period Utilization

  • Take advantage of trial periods to test the full suite of features and determine if the paid version justifies the expense.

Cost-Benefit Analysis

  • Conduct a rigorous cost-benefit analysis to understand if the investment in a budgeting app aligns with your savings or revenue generation tactics.

 

The Final Review – Success Stories and User Feedback

Lastly, before committing to your budgeting app of choice, it’s beneficial to survey the success stories of users with similar profiles to yours and to glean insights from peer reviews.

User Testimonials and Case Studies

  • Find and digest comprehensive user testimonials and case studies detailing how each app has transformed the financial lives of its users.

Sift Through App Store Ratings and Reviews

  • Navigate the labyrinth of app store ratings and reviews to uncover trends, both positive and negative, among the user base.

Reach Out to User Communities

  • Engage with user communities and forums to gain insider perspectives on the real-world efficacy of these budgeting applications.

Consider the Long-Term Prospects

  • Envision how each budgeting app can factor into your long-term financial growth or business scalability, and weigh this against short-term convenience.

 

Conclusion – Budgeting in the Digital Era

Budgeting in the digital era is not merely about balancing the books; it’s a dynamic process that can fuel personal empowerment and business success. By following this ultimate budgeting blueprint, you are equipped to select the app that seamlessly integrates with your lifestyle or business operations, setting you on the path to financial triumph.

Armed with the right budgeting app, you can turn the tide on your financial health and usher in a new age of frugality, intelligence, and prosperity. It’s not just an app – it’s a partner in your financial ascent. Choose wisely, and budget boldly!

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My estate is worth millions of dollars. How do I stop my daughters’ husbands from getting their hands on it?

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My wife and I live in California, as do three of our four grown daughters. We are revisiting our family trust for the first time in many years, as we’re getting older and have gradually built an estate worth a couple of million dollars. We want to make sure that, in case our daughters get divorced, our hard-earned savings go to them and not their ex-husbands. 

We consulted with two estate attorneys and got different answers. The first said there’s nothing we can do to legally enforce that the inheritance stays separate; the most we could do is put in some wording along the lines of “It is our wish that the money stays separate.” The second attorney said that we can make our children sign a prenup as a condition of their inheritance. 

Furthermore, we have one daughter who has already been married for five years and has three children; another daughter who just got engaged; and two other children, who are single. Our married daughter does not have a prenuptial agreement. How do we protect our gift to her? A retroactive prenup? How should we proceed?

Father of Four Girls

Related: ‘They’re threatening to go to a lawyer’: My in-laws gave us $300,000 and are on the deed to our home. Now they insist we give our niece $125,000.

“Don’t allow this money to become a cudgel with which to control your daughters’ lives.”


MarketWatch illustration

Dear Father,

Money should bring freedom and opportunity, not control and coercion. 

Your intentions tread a fine line between expectations and legality. There is only so much you can do to prevent your daughters from sharing their inheritance with their spouses, assuming they all marry and some of those marriages end in divorce. It is a credit to you that you have amassed a couple of million dollars, but don’t allow this money to become a cudgel with which to pull the purse strings in your daughters’ lives. 

One solution to your problem: You could set up a bloodline trust, a revocable trust that sets out how you should leave your assets to your direct beneficiaries — in this case, your daughters — and which becomes irrevocable upon your death. It can only be used for your daughters and their children, and because it becomes irrevocable upon your death, it cannot be accessed by creditors, should you have any. There are downsides. For example, such a trust could, unless otherwise specified, exclude stepchildren and adopted children.

First, the good news: Inheritance in California is considered separate property. Whether you leave your children real estate or brokerage or savings accounts, that money will remain nonmarital property unless your daughters use it to upgrade their family home or in some other way commingle those assets with their community property. So that pre-empts the need for your married daughter to ask her spouse to sign a postnuptial agreement.

On that subject, however, it’s not wise to use this inheritance to tell your daughters what they should do within their marriages. There should be a clear boundary between your relationship with your adult children and their relationships with their respective partners and spouses. It’s not a good idea to interfere in the latter. Doing so may cause discord in their relationships and also cause unnecessary hurt and tension in your own relationships with your daughters.

“California is one of a few states that strictly adheres to community-property laws, which declare that assets acquired during a marriage [are] community, also known as marital, property,” according to Myers Family Law in Roseville, Calif. “However, even California draws a line when it comes to personal inheritances, including inheritances that were received while married. Inheritances are treated as separate property, belonging to the individual who received the inheritance.”

Legal gymnastics

Requesting in your last will and testament that your daughters receive their share of your estate on the condition that they don’t share any of it with their husbands presents a lot of impractical and legal gymnastics. What they do with their inheritance is their business, unless you put those assets in a trust with strict instructions on how those assets should be used — for your grandchildren’s education, for example — or use the trust to provide an annual income.

There are so many variables beyond your control. What if you die before your wife, and she has different ideas about how your joint estate should be settled? What if your daughter’s husband is asked to sign a prenup, and replies, “No way — who does your father think he is?” The best course of action is to make your daughters aware of how to manage separate assets that are inherited, and how they could be accidentally commingled.

Think about the quality time you have left with your family. You don’t want Thanksgiving dinners to turn into a battle royale or, worse, a situation where your daughters and their partners gradually pull away and reevaluate their relationships with you. You have worked hard for your money, and you are attempting to protect your family fortune. But there are times in life when you can do too much, and hold your family too tight, even if that is not your intention. 

Ask yourself some soul-searching questions before you proceed. Do you really want to force your children to sign a prenup in order to receive their inheritance? Prenups can be challenged and changed at a later date. What is more important: the couple of million dollars you will leave behind, or the relationships you have with your daughters while you are still here? Don’t put a price on your daughters’ love for you — or on their love for their spouses.

Sorry for being preachy, but even Shakespeare wrote a play about estate planning. It was called “King Lear.”

The Moneyist regrets he cannot reply to questions individually.

Previous columns by Quentin Fottrell:

‘I grew up pretty poor’: I got an annual bonus. After I pay off my credit cards, I’ll have $10,000. What should I do with it?

‘I received an insurance-claim check for $22,000’: Why on earth does it take five days for my check to clear?

‘I want to protect my family’: My wealthy father, 49, is marrying his third wife. How do I broach the subject of my inheritance?

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#estate #worth #millions #dollars #stop #daughters #husbands #hands

My brothers are co-owners on $1.9 million of our mother’s bank and brokerage accounts. She now has Alzheimer’s. How can I rectify this?

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I have three adult siblings living in different states, and we are disputing the circumstances surrounding the joint accounts shared with our 85-year-old mother, who has early stage Alzheimer’s. Our mom has a net worth of around $2 million, which is spread across several different bank and brokerage accounts. Late in life, she added a different sibling as a co-owner on each of her accounts to help manage her money.  

My brother “Joe” is listed as the sole co-owner on the bulk of our mother’s brokerage accounts, totaling $1.3 million, while my brother “Andy” is the sole co-owner of a $600,000 bank account and I am the sole co-owner of a $100,000 brokerage account. I think our mom simply forgot to add my sister, “Sue,” as a co-owner on any account. Her intention has always been for the four of us to equally inherit her assets.

I suggested to my three siblings that we should change all the accounts to sole ownership under our mother’s name with four equal beneficiaries. I thought this could avoid many possible complications with gift taxes and distribution at the time of our mother’s death, since as it stands, each co-owner would have to divide the money from their co-ownership account and send it to the other siblings.

Sue is named as power of attorney and could manage our mother’s individual accounts as needed. However, Joe is adamant that the current setup of co-ownership of accounts is the best way to help our mother, especially to protect her against financial fraud in case she needs to move to a nursing home. He insists there will be no gift taxes with the eventual distribution and that this setup is straightforward and easy to co-manage.

This situation is causing a lot of stress and distrust among my siblings, which I hate. I suggested we change things in order to make our mother’s financial situation as simple as possible, especially at the time of death, and not because I don’t trust Joe. Right now, no one is touching our mother’s accounts, and I am paying most of her expenses, as she lives with me.

Please advise.

Frustrated Sibling

Also read: My wife and I sold our home to her son at a $100,000 discount. He’s now selling at a $250,000 profit. Do I ask for a cut?

“Sue, as power of attorney, should be able to withdraw money from your mother’s other accounts and/or set up a bank account with those funds in your mom’s name,” the Moneyist writes.


MarketWatch illustration

Dear Frustrated,

Your brothers have every reason to act like white truffle butter wouldn’t melt in their mouths.

Between them, they have sewn up your mother’s largest bank accounts, and you are very likely dependent on the kindness of these brothers to either add you to the accounts as co-owners or distribute the funds between all four siblings after your mother passes away. 

I would not hold my breath for Joe or Andy to do either of these things. They can just as easily resist with politeness and smiles as with anger and resentment. I’m sorry to say that the most damaging actions — for you and your sister— have already been taken. 

We may never know the conversations that took place when your brothers were added as co-owners. But there is a very important difference between a “co-owner” and a “co-signer” on an account. The latter can withdraw money but does not own the money in the account.

If your mother was not of sound mind or her mental capacity was diminished when your brothers were added to these accounts, or if she had intended to add them as co-signers, there may be a case where you can contest your brothers’ ownership of these accounts.

The legal framework around such cases vary depending on the state, but it’s usually up to the estate of the original owner of the account to prove that there was elder abuse and/or undue influence taking place. As always, you should consult an attorney who specializes in elder law.

Limitations to power-of-attorney duties 

Sue, as power of attorney, should be able to withdraw money from your mother’s other accounts and/or set up a bank account with those funds in your mom’s name. She should preserve these funds for additional medical bills and long-term care as her condition progresses.

But the bottom line is that without the cooperation of your two brothers after your mother dies, failing any legal case to reverse matters, you will remain with the sole ownership of the $100,000 brokerage account, and the four of you will inherit whatever else is left in the estate. 

It’s virtually impossible to say without more information, but Sue, as power of attorney, is unlikely to have the ability to change the ownership of these accounts unless that is specified in the terms of her POA contract. That would also depend on the laws of your state.

“The power of attorney permits the agent to access their parent’s bank accounts, make deposits and write checks,” Jupiter, Fla.-based Welch Law says in this POA overview. “However, it doesn’t create any ownership interest in the bank accounts. It allows access and signing authority.”

The law firm continues: “If the person’s parent wants to add them to the account, they become a joint owner of the account. When this happens, the person has the same authority as the parent, accessing the account and making deposits and withdrawals.”

But those with power of attorney cannot self-deal when it comes to their parent’s finances. “As a POA, they are a fiduciary, which means they have a legally enforceable responsibility to put their parent’s benefits above their own,” Welch Law adds.

You should not have to pay for your mother’s care out of your own bank account. Your sister, as power of attorney, should be managing that. Talk to your siblings about your mother’s Alzheimer’s and how the four of you plan to manage her care in the months and years ahead.

Will your brothers fulfill their promise and make you and your sister whole? Only time will tell.

You can email The Moneyist with any financial and ethical questions at [email protected], and follow Quentin Fottrell on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.

Check out the Moneyist private Facebook group, where we look for answers to life’s thorniest money issues. Post your questions, tell me what you want to know more about, or weigh in on the latest Moneyist columns.

The Moneyist regrets he cannot reply to questions individually.

Previous columns by Quentin Fottrell:

‘I don’t like the idea of dying alone’: I’m 54, twice divorced and have $2.3 million. My girlfriend wants to get married. How do I protect myself?

‘If I say the sky is blue, she’ll tell me it’s green’: My daughter, 19, will inherit $800,000. How can she invest in her future?

‘They have no running water’: Our neighbors constantly hit us up for money. My husband gave them $400. Is it selfish to say no?



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Insurers such as State Farm and Allstate are leaving fire- and flood-prone areas. Home values could take a hit

Post By Business , , , , , , , , , ,

Some insurance companies are pulling back coverage from fire- and flood-prone areas, leaving homeowners with limited affordable options. This trend may even affect the property value of American homes, experts say.

The nation’s largest homeowner’s insurance company, State Farm, stopped accepting new applications for policies on property in California in May. Allstate announced in November 2022 that it would “pause new homeowners, condo and commercial insurance policies in California to protect current customers,” the Associated Press reported in June.

This trend will likely continue across the insurance industry, said Jeremy Porter, head of climate implications research at First Street Foundation, a nonprofit research organization that compiles comprehensive climate risk data.

“They know the risk is just too high to be actuarially sound for their business,” he said.

In its announcement, State Farm said too many buildings are being destroyed by climate catastrophes, inflation is making it too expensive to rebuild, and it can’t protect its investments any longer. 

More from Personal Finance:
Why a ‘death note’ is as important as having a will, advisor says
Economists say the labor market is strong, but job seekers don’t agree
Amid FAFSA delays, what to do if your financial aid letter is late

The problem is not just in California, where wildfires are prevalent. Louisiana and Florida homeowners are also contending with a lack of access to insurance, due to flood risk.  

“Losses are increasingly related to climate risk,” said Sean Kevelighan, president and CEO of the Insurance Information Institute, an insurance industry association. “As that risk increases, so does the cost of insuring those assets that people have on hand.”

Even though there wasn’t an increase in major disasters in 2023, he said, the industry is still expecting to see $50 billion in losses just because of “severe convective issues” such as flash flooding and the implications of heavier everyday storms. 

What happens when a homeowner can’t get insurance

Darlene Tucker and Tom Pinter

Without insurance, many homeowners can find themselves in big financial trouble. 

Darlene Tucker, 66, and Tom Pinter, 68, are longtime homeowners in Sonora, California. The couple bought their “dream home” 18 years ago and have been enjoying their retirement from their respective jobs in manufacturing.

Tucker also cares for her horses and a rescued 100-pound tortoise on the property, and runs a dog day care center to help make ends meet. She said Pinter also works as a delivery driver to help out.

Darlene Tucker and Tom Pinter’s home in Sonora, California.

The couple received a nonrenewal notice from Allstate in November. Tucker told CNBC she has been working with her Allstate agent to find another insurer.

“I had one company step up and said they’d do it for $12,000 a year,” she said — that’s roughly six times her previous annual premium under Allstate of about $2,000.

She said there was no way the couple could afford that new policy, and they would likely have to move. 

Dogs play at Darlene Tucker and Tom Pinter’s home in Sonora, California.

But Tucker and Pinter may find that selling their home also comes with a steep cost.

Porter said First Street Foundation’s research in California concluded that “the moment that an individual gets a non-renewal letter from the private insurance market, they essentially lose 12% of their property value.”

Insurance costs ‘should be an alarm’ for homebuyers

Experts say the insurance landscape in California is particularly tricky because, in addition to the wildfire risk, the state has a law that adds extra approval measures, including board approval and review by the insurance commissioner, if an insurance company wants to raise the rate of insurance by more than 7%. That’s been in effect since the 1980s.

Kevelighan, of the Insurance Information Institute, said that law, called Proposition 103, creates a regulatory environment in California that restricts the industry from adequately including climate risk in its forecasting and is one of the reasons the industry is being forced to pull back coverage in the state.

“Risk management does not come into play until it’s entirely too late when it comes to individual personal property purchasing,” Kevelighan said. “It comes into play when the mortgage provider needs you to go get it.”

“And that’s the first time when a consumer even begins to think about where they’re living and what the risks might be,” he said. “The cost reflects that risk. That should be an alarm to tell them that they’re living in a risky place and then ask themselves: How could I reduce that risk? Or do I need to think about living somewhere else?”

‘Give me something to work with’

With just days remaining until Tucker and Pinter’s Allstate policy expires, on Feb. 15, the couple is still looking for more options. Tucker told CNBC that a recent quote they received was three times what they were originally paying, with a $10,000 deductible.

Of the whole situation, she said she feels frustrated.

Darlene Tucker and Tom Pinter

“We’re doing everything we can,” Tucker said. “You know, we worked hard, we retired. We take good care of our house. I’m never late on my bills. I paid that [policy] for 18 years … And you just give me no choice. That’s the part that bugged me the most, I think. Give me a list. Give me something to work with. Raise [the price] if you need to, reasonably. But don’t just give me no choice. That’s not right.”

Tucker’s insurance agent from Allstate told CNBC that “most insurance companies are not currently writing polices in high fire prone areas,” and confirmed the company was trying to help her find other options.

A spokesperson for Allstate said the company is “working with the California Department of Insurance to improve insurance availability in the state. We’ll be able to offer home insurance policies to more Californians with the use of our advanced wildfire modeling and reinsurance.”

State Farm did not respond to CNBC’s requests for comment.

Watch the video to learn more about why some American homeowners are losing their property insurance and the changes the insurance industry would like to see to be able to offset some of the mounting risks. 

Clarification: This story has been updated to clarify when Allstate announced it would pause accepting applications for new insurance policies in California.

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How can I create a holistic personal finance approach?

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Personal Finance

How can I create a holistic personal finance approach?

Tuesday January 30 2024

Every financial expert or advisor will tell you that you need a robust financial plan. PHOTO | SHUTTERSTOCK

Every financial expert or advisor will tell you that you need a robust financial plan. Usually, the next logical step would be to have you set certain goals and make a strategic plan to achieve them.

The most basic of these would be to divide your plan into short-term, medium-term, and long-term cohorts to ensure all your financial bases are covered.

These would range from liquidity needs to capital preservation and eventually, to building a sustainable nest egg through longer-term capital gains. This should lead to a good and well-diversified portfolio. As it turns out, they would be on the money.

I will attempt to look at simple but tried and true ways of managing personal finances that, when used in tandem, should get you to your aspirations.

The life cycle approach: Picture your life and the various stages you will have to go through to arrive at your desired financial destination. This is the essence of the lifecycle approach. You will have to go through an asset accumulation phase, where you will be looking to convert your earnings into savings, savings into investments, and investments into sustainable wealth. This is where all your goals are conceived and targeted.

The focus should be on savings and liquidity, think about an emergency fund and/or a money market fund. This is also the phase when you develop a credit relationship, which will allow you more flexibility in your financial future, especially when it comes time to take out a loan or get a mortgage.

It would be a good idea to start working with a financial planner or advisor at this time, so you can make sure you’re taking a 360-degree approach to reaching your financial goals.

Read: How to have a financially prosperous 2024

This is also the time to employ investment strategies, such as accumulating wealth in a tax-advantaged retirement account, in this territory there are several options based on your earnings model, from the basic NSSF that is now taking shape in the country to your employers’ pension plans as you go through the various jobs in your career to individual pension plans should you plan to take a sabbatical and do your own thing.

This gives your money more time to grow and multiply, thanks to the time value of money where you can earn interest on your interest and continue to compound your returns. Because younger people have a longer time horizon, this is also when you should be heavily weighted in equities.

Stocks’ high-risk, high-return potential is well-suited to young people with plenty of time before retirement to weather any risk that may arise.

The risk management or preservation phase is where you would start the process of diversifying your holdings to preserve your wealth. Choose an asset mix that aligns with your long-term investment strategies. In general, the more risk you are willing to take, the higher the potential for reward.

However, It is important to note that one’s ability to recover from market downturns and corrections incrementally takes a hit as we age, Just as our physical form differs, a 46-year-old may not recover from a market crash the same way as a 25-year-old would.

This is why it is important to make sure you have enough low-risk options to cover your bases for near-term and imperative financial needs. Short-term investment strategies are completely different from long-term investment strategies.

Be sure to discuss both strategies with your financial advisor to make sure you are making the right decisions for each, so you can choose the best investment strategy and make tax-smart decisions to reach your money goals.

In the distribution phase, your goal should be to reduce risk. One way to do this is to draw down equity exposure (remember, equities or stocks offer the potential for high returns at the price of high risk). By lessening your exposure to these riskier options, you can focus your portfolio on assets that might have a lower potential for return but are safer.

This less aggressive approach will pad your investment accounts against risk as your time horizon shortens. It is at this stage that most people are retiring or planning to retire from duty, and thus aligning all your investments including your retirement accounts to the fundamentals of this phase should get you home and dry.

The 3 panel approach: The trick is to balance three areas to achieve financial security and prosperity. These are Protection, Savings, and Growth.

Protection: The aim here is to ensure the protection of the wealth you are accumulating from the various risks that threaten to wipe it out. This would be primarily through insurance. Some of the vital insurance policies that one should consider are, life insurance policies that ideally should be 10-15 times your annual income as per international recommendations, medical insurance to cover you and your dependents should the need arise, domestic package insurance to protect you from the inevitable risks such as loss of mobile phones, and last respect insurance to assist your family in defraying certain costs should you leave this earth.

Savings: Your emergency fund should be 3-6 times the monthly non-discretionary expense. Housing costs should be less than or equal to 30 percent of gross pay. When you combine housing costs and debt payments, it should be less than or equal to 35 percent of gross pay.

Growth: Aim to save at least 10 to 13 percent of gross pay for retirement (including employer match). Have education funds for your children, and spread your holdings across liquid, balanced, and longer-term capital growth asset classes.

The cash flow approach: It is imperative that you have control over every shilling you earn and spend, and you do this by understanding and controlling the movement of your money.

Read: What tricks can I use to save a lot of money this year?

It starts with a thorough assessment of your income sources and expenses, followed by optimisation of your cash flow. This could involve reducing unnecessary expenses or finding ways to boost your income. A carefully crafted budget helps you allocate your income towards necessary expenses, savings, and investment goals.

Building an emergency fund and managing debt are the keys to financial stability. Setting specific financial goals guides your savings and investment strategies. Considering investment opportunities and tax implications helps grow your wealth and maintain tax efficiency. Regular reviews and adjustments ensure your cash flow plan remains aligned with your circumstances and goals.

As you will have seen throughout this article, having a robust retirement account is essential for a good life retirement, however, the key to a top-tier one is to ensure that all your other investments align to a bigger financial plan tailored to getting you what you need when you need it. It is my hope that you will create a financial juggernaut so imposing, that all the obstacles that most certainly will come your way are surmounted with ease.

The writer is a consultant on retirement solutions. He can be reached via [email protected]

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My Tinder match asked if I ‘rent or own’ my apartment. Is it gauche to ask financial questions before a first date?

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I met a guy on Tinder
MTCH,
+0.75%
and had an introductory telephone conversation, which I always think is a good idea before making the effort to meet in person. During our 15-minute telephone conversation, he told me about his divorce, his job and his hobbies. He described himself as easygoing and outdoorsy, and someone who likes to socialize and play sports. 

He talked a lot about his children, for five minutes or longer. He said he owned a small house. He asked what I did for a living, when my last relationship was, what neighborhood I lived in and — this stuck in my craw — whether I rented or owned my apartment and if it was a studio, one- or two-bedroom apartment. I felt uncomfortable, but I answered.

I live in New York City, and I happen to own my apartment, but I felt like he was sizing me up and trying to get a picture of my finances before he decided to meet me. He also asked how long I’ve been in my apartment, probably to assess how much equity I had in it. I replied, “a while,” as I already felt like he was getting too into my finances for a first conversation.

Once he was satisfied with my answers to these questions, he suggested we meet. I am busy this weekend, so he suggested driving into the city during the week. Based on his job and profession, I can reasonably estimate that I earn about twice his salary, though this does not mean anything to me, and I could care less. But given his money-related questions, I find that ironic.

I asked some friends. Some did a spit take, while others felt such questions were fair game. What do you think?

Irritated Even Before Our First Date

Related: I want my father to quitclaim his home so I can refinance it — and take out a $200,000 annuity for my sister and me. Is this wise?

“Based on his questions, it’s important to him that you have the same level of financial security that he does. If it were not an issue for him, he would not have asked.”


MarketWatch illustration

Dear Irritated,

He is not your real-estate agent or financial adviser, so I agree that it’s strange for a virtual stranger to quiz you on your living arrangements.

Based on his questions, it’s important to him that you have the same level of financial security that he does. If it were not an issue for him, he would not have asked. It’s as simple as that. Similarly, if he were wealthy beyond his wildest dreams, he may care less than someone who has climbed partly up the property ladder. But do I think it’s a bit much to ask in a first conversation? Yes.

Don’t give the Greek chorus too much importance. Whether or not other people are comfortable with such questions in a first call is immaterial; if you are not comfortable, you have your answer. You, after all, are the person who will have to date him, and expect him to show a semblance of emotional intelligence and sensitivity. It’s imperative to be able to read the room.

Let there be no mistake: If he is asking a question about your real-estate holdings or finances, he’s interested in them as a way of assessing (or judging) your suitability as a partner. Maybe he romanticizes his relationship prospects based on first impressions, and wonders whether he could combine assets and live in splendor. But words and questions have meaning.

Social acceptability vs. social mobility 

In America, it may be seen as more acceptable than in some European countries to ask what you do for a living, and even whether you rent or own in a big city like New York. The U.S. is a country of immigrants, and has more immigrants than any other population in the world, according to the Pew Research Center. 

The idea is to strive, work hard, and do better than the previous generation, although a majority of Americans reportedly doubt the attainability of generation-to-generation upward mobility, and millions of people are reassessing their relationship to work-life balance in the wake of the pandemic.

Wealth and looks play a role in whether someone swipes left or right, but the former appears to become more important when a connection is made with a partner who is deemed attractive. “When long-term interest is considered, the physical attractiveness of the model appeared to serve as an initial hurdle that had to be cleared prior to any other factors being considered by the participants,” according to this 2020 study.

People do swipe right based on economic factors. It would be foolhardy or idealistic to suggest that they don’t. If, however, a man poses in sunglasses with two thumbs up next to a Lamborghini, listing bitcoin
BTCUSD,
+1.57%
trading as one of his pastimes, chances are he doesn’t own that Lamborghini and, in my estimation, may have “Tinder Swindler”-level intentions.

And if a potential partner is both attractive and wealthy? That seems to be an appealing combination. Female online daters are 10 times more likely to click on profiles with men who have higher incomes, at least according to this study published in the Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization, while male online daters are equally likely to click on women’s profiles, regardless of income. 

I don’t put too much stock in studies that say men are looking for attractive partners, while women are more interested in men who look wealthy. You could probably do an analysis of any online dating site and gather a sample that would give you conclusions that say pretty much anything you want them to say. It all depends on the individual: Someone who knows the exact size of their backyard and strives to keep up with the Joneses is more likely to ask whether you rent or own.

In other words, this fellow who grilled you over your own socioeconomic circumstances may still be a perfect match — for someone else.

You can email The Moneyist with any financial and ethical questions at [email protected], and follow Quentin Fottrell on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.

Check out the Moneyist private Facebook group, where we look for answers to life’s thorniest money issues. Post your questions, tell me what you want to know more about, or weigh in on the latest Moneyist columns.

The Moneyist regrets he cannot reply to questions individually.

Previous columns by Quentin Fottrell:

I want my son to inherit my $1.2 million house. Should I leave it to my second husband in my will? He promised to pass it on.

My adult sons live rent-free in my house, while I pay for 50% of utilities in my second husband’s condo

My brother lives in our parents’ home, which we’ll inherit 50/50. I want to keep it in the family for my children. How do I protect my interests?



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‘I can’t afford to keep paying for two households’: My adult sons live rent-free in my house, while I pay for 50% of utilities in my second husband’s condo

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In 2007, my now ex-husband and I bought a home, where we lived as a family with our two boys for just a few years before we divorced in 2009. I refinanced the house in my name, and have paid the mortgage and utilities as a single parent ever since. 

In 2016, I met and started dating a man. We lived apart, only about 10 to 15 minutes from each other. In 2021, after I battled cancer, he proposed and I accepted. Since we only lived a few minutes apart, I stayed at my husband’s two-bedroom condo Thursday through Sunday, and spent Sunday through Thursday at my house, where I worked from home. I did this for years. 

My oldest son moved back in with me in 2021. He graduated high school in 2017 and I gave him a gap year living at my house to decide on his next move, after which he moved out and started his career. He lived on his own for a year, then lived with my parents for a year. He met a girl; they signed a lease and then the pandemic hit. After their lease was up, they broke up, and he decided to go back to college full time. I agreed that he could live in my home while he attended college. His tuition is covered by grants and a 529 fund his grandmother set up.

In 2022, my then boyfriend and I married. However, we still didn’t move in together full time, as I still had my house, and my youngest son had not yet graduated high school. I wanted to be home with him. 

Helping to support two households

My youngest son, 19, graduated high school in 2023. Later that summer, I moved out of my house to stay with my husband full time. I pay 50% of the expenses living with my husband and 100% of the expenses for my house, where the boys live. 

I kept both households going so my youngest could have a gap year of his own, and to cushion my oldest, whom I really didn’t think would go to college, while he attended to his studies. They are young and finding their way, and I wanted to give them the support I felt like they needed. But here we are in 2024, and I can’t afford to keep both households running without impacting my ability to save for retirement.

Here’s my dilemma: I don’t know how to get my boys out of my house so I can clean it up, stage it and list it for sale. We live in an area where the average two-bedroom apartment rents for $1,800 a month. My youngest works full time following his passion for BMWs and makes about $2,400 a month. My oldest, 25, works part time in retail and makes about $1,000 a month while he attends college. They both work within 3 miles of my home. They simply can’t afford to move out, and I can’t afford to keep paying for two households.

To complicate matters, I have about $100,000 in equity in the house, and I’d like to use it to pay off some small debts and buy a car, as well as put the rest in retirement.  But my mother, who has had a long and successful career in real estate, thinks I should wait it out and let my equity continue to build, giving the boys some cushion while they are still finding their way. 

Do I shop around and find them an apartment, help them set up utilities and help them with movers? Do we build a project plan with a deadline, or just keep looking for places in the hope that we eventually find one we like? Do I subsidize their monthly expenses and give them each $400 a month for utilities, if they cover their rent? 

I know this is probably easy for other people, but I am at a loss as to how and when to do this. We all feel stuck, scared and anxious. Any advice is appreciated.

Wife & Mother

Related: My cousin left his estate to 6 relatives, but only one cousin, worth $30 million, received the inheritance — due to an ‘unexpected surprise’

“On the subject of mothers, listen to your own. If you can rent out your home, pay the mortgage and wait for the value to increase, do that.”


MarketWatch illustration

Dear Wife & Mother,

The longer you support your two adult sons, the longer they will lean on you and need you as their personal ATM. You’ve brought them over the finish line, and then some. You raised them, educated them, and fed and clothed and housed them. Now you are paying for their electricity and other bills. It’s time for your sons to stand on their own two feet and, as my Irish mother would say, cut their cloth according to its measure.

On the subject of mothers, listen to your own. If you can rent out your home, pay the mortgage and wait for the value to increase, do that. Your mother works in real estate and knows what she’s talking about. Real estate, in an ideal world, is a long-term game. It’s time for your sons to downsize to a small apartment, and experience the joys of paying their own way and standing on their own two feet. You need to cut the cord.

Act with integrity and intention. The best way to make a big move — and this is probably as big a move emotionally as it is financially — is to prepare. Sit down with your sons and an independent financial adviser, and do a forensic accounting of their income and expenditure and where they spend their money. I can almost guarantee you that their subsidized lifestyle lends itself to spending money in areas where they could easily cut back.

There is an underlying feeling of guilt in your letter. Have you done enough? Yes. Should you do more? No, you have done plenty, and you’re now putting your sons before your own financial peace of mind and retirement. Does it make you a bad person, or an unfeeling one, if you decide to cut them off? Of course not. Quite the contrary: You can lead by example by showing them what it means to make tough decisions and stick to them.

When you have accounted for your sons’ income and expenditure, look at rentals in your neighborhood or adjoining neighborhoods, if need be. The aim is for them to start taking responsibility for themselves. They don’t need a two-bedroom apartment. They can live in a one-bedroom condo and take turns sleeping on the sofa bed. This is a rite of passage, and it teaches young people the value of money and what it means to take accountability for oneself.

The share of adult children in the U.S. living with their parents has steadily risen since the 1960s. In 2020, during the pandemic, one-third of children ages 18 to 34 lived with their parents as non-caregivers. Men and 18- to 24-year-olds, respectively, were more likely to live at home than women and 25- to 34-year-olds, according to a study distributed by the National Bureau of Economic Research. Parents get support at home; kids get to experience a low-cost lifestyle.

But while the NBER found social benefits to living with adult children and that it does not necessarily delay, retirement, the benefits of providing your children with a head start by giving them somewhere to live start to decline when your ability to save for retirement is impeded, and you’re burning money supporting two households. This is also money you can put towards vacations and new cars, and building a future with your husband. You deserve to enjoy life and put yourself first for a change. Tell your sons, “You’re ready. I’m ready. I love you. Let’s do this.””

You can email The Moneyist with any financial and ethical questions at [email protected], and follow Quentin Fottrell on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.

Check out the Moneyist private Facebook group, where we look for answers to life’s thorniest money issues. Post your questions, tell me what you want to know more about, or weigh in on the latest Moneyist columns.

The Moneyist regrets he cannot reply to questions individually.

Previous columns by Quentin Fottrell:

‘She’s obsessed’: My mom moved into my house and refuses to move out. She has paid for repairs and appliances. What should I do?

My parents want to pay off my $200,000 mortgage, and move into my rental. They say I’ll owe my sister $100,000. Is this fair?

‘I hate the 9-to-5 grind’: I want more time with my newborn son. Should I give up my job and dip into my six-figure trust fund?



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7 Things to Consider Before Choosing a Stock Market Investor Service

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Stock market investing services like Seeking Alpha are platforms or companies that help individuals and businesses invest their money in the stock market. These services offer a range of features, tools, and resources to assist with investment decisions and portfolio management.

Before choosing a stock market investing service, it is important to consider your individual investment goals and risk tolerance. This will help you determine which type of service is best suited for your needs.

Understanding Your Investment Goals and Risk Tolerance

Before investing in the stock market, it is crucial to have a clear understanding of your investment goals.

Are you looking to generate long-term wealth or are you seeking short-term gains?

Do you prefer high-risk, high-reward investments or are you more risk-averse?

Additionally, it is important to assess your risk tolerance. This refers to your ability and willingness to withstand potential losses in the stock market.

A higher risk tolerance may allow for more aggressive investment strategies, while a lower risk tolerance may require a more conservative approach.

Evaluating Different Types of Investor Services

There are three main types of investor services: full-service brokers, discount brokers, and robo-advisors.

Each has its unique features and benefits, so it is important to carefully evaluate each type before making a decision.

  • Full-service Brokers: These services offer comprehensive investment management, including personalized advice from a financial advisor. They typically have higher fees but provide a more hands-on approach for those who may require additional guidance.
  • Discount Brokers: These services offer a lower-cost option for investors who are comfortable making their own investment decisions. They provide access to trading platforms and research tools but do not offer personalized advice.
  • Robo-advisors: These services use algorithms and technology to manage investments for clients at a lower cost than full-service brokers. They may also offer automated rebalancing and tax-loss harvesting features.

Importance of Service Fees and Cost Structure

When choosing an investor service, it is important to consider the fees and cost structure carefully. Full-service brokers typically have higher fees due to the personalized advice they offer, while discount brokers and robo-advisors may have lower fees but still charge for certain services or transactions.

Understanding these fees and how they can impact your overall investment returns is important. Look for transparent fee structures and compare them among different services to find the best fit for your budget.

Evaluating the Quality of Customer Service

Customer service is an important aspect to consider when choosing a stock market investing service. If you have questions or need assistance with your investments, you want to be able to easily reach a knowledgeable representative.

Research customer reviews and ratings to get an idea of the quality of customer service offered by different services. You can also reach out to each service directly to ask questions or test their response time and helpfulness.

Importance of Research Tools and Educational Resources

Investing in the stock market requires knowledge and understanding of various investment strategies, market trends, and economic factors. Look for investor services that offer a variety of research tools and educational resources to help you make informed investment decisions.

These may include market analysis, stock screeners, educational articles and videos, and access to financial experts. Having access to these resources can greatly benefit your investment success.

Evaluating the Ease of Use and Platform Interface

The ease of use and user interface of an investor service can greatly impact your overall experience and success. Look for services with user-friendly platforms that are easy to navigate and offer a smooth trading experience.

Some services may also have mobile apps for convenient trading on the go. You should also consider the type of platform (web-based or desktop) and choose one that best suits your needs and preferences.

Importance of Regulatory Compliance and Security Measures

Before investing your hard-earned money with an investor service, it is important to ensure they comply with regulatory standards and have strong security measures in place.

Check for licenses and registrations with relevant governing bodies, as well as any history of disciplinary actions. You should also look into their security protocols for protecting your personal and financial information.

Case Study: Comparing Different Investor Services

To better understand the differences between investor services, let’s look at a hypothetical scenario. Jane and John both have $10,000 to invest in the stock market.

Jane chooses a full-service broker with an annual fee of 1% and personalized advice from a financial advisor. John opts for a robo-advisor with an annual fee of 0.50%, an automated rebalancing feature, and access to educational resources.

After one year, Jane’s investments have grown by 8%, but she has paid $100 in fees. John’s investments have also grown by 8% and he has only paid $50 in fees.

While both investors saw the same return on their investment, John was able to keep more of his earnings due to the lower fees. However, Jane may have found value in the personalized advice she received from her full-service broker.

This case study highlights how different investor services can impact your returns and overall experience. It is important to carefully consider all factors before making a decision.

Conclusion

In conclusion, there are many factors to consider before choosing a stock market investor service. It is important to assess your risk tolerance, evaluate different types of services, consider fees and cost structures, research customer service quality, utilize educational resources, evaluate the ease of use and security measures, and compare services through case studies or personal experience.

By carefully considering these factors and choosing a service that aligns with your needs and goals, you can increase your chances of success in the stock market.

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Long Covid is distorting the labor market — and that’s bad for the U.S. economy

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Charlotte Hultquist

Charlotte Hultquist

Weeks after Charlotte Hultquist got Covid-19 in November 2020, she developed a severe pain in her right ear.

“It felt like someone was sticking a knife in [it],” said Hultquist, a single mother of five who lives in Hartford, Vermont.

The 41-year-old is one of millions of Americans who have long Covid. The chronic illness carries a host of potentially debilitating symptoms that can last for months or years, making it impossible for some to work.

For about a year, Hultquist was among those long Covid patients sidelined from the workforce. She would fall constantly, tripping just by stepping over a toy or small object on the floor. She eventually learned that the balance issues and ear pain resulted from a damaged vestibular nerve, a known effect of long Covid. After rigorous testing, a physical therapist told Hultquist she had the “balance of a 1-year-old learning to walk.”

Her body — which she said felt like it weighed 1,000 pounds — couldn’t regulate its temperature, causing dramatic swings from cold to hot.

More from Your Health, Your Money

Here’s a look at more stories on the complexities and implications of long Covid:

Her work on the Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center’s information desk required a sharp memory of the hospital’s layout — but long Covid dulled that clarity, too. She had to quit her job as a patient care representative in March 2021.

“I couldn’t work when my memory just kept failing,” Hultquist said.

There remain many unknowns about long Covid, including causes, cures, even how to define it. But this much is clear: The illness is disabling thousands, perhaps millions, of workers to such an extent that they must throttle back hours or leave the workforce altogether.

In other words, at a time when job openings are near an all-time high, long Covid is reducing the supply of people able to fill those positions. The dynamic may have large and adverse effects on the U.S. economy.

Long Covid “is certainly wind blowing in the other direction” of economic growth, said Betsey Stevenson, a professor of public policy and economics at the University of Michigan who served as chief economist for the U.S. Department of Labor in the Obama administration.

Up to 4 million people are out of work

Estimating the labor impact of long Covid — also known as long-haul Covid, post-Covid or post-acute Covid syndrome — is a somewhat fraught mathematical exercise; it’s complicated by the nebulous nature of the fledgling illness and a dearth of data tracking how people with long-haul symptoms flow in and out of work.

Economic models suggest that hundreds of thousands of people and potentially millions are out of work because of long-haul symptoms after a Covid infection.

“At a minimum, long Covid is adding a lot of uncertainty to an already very uncertain economic picture,” Paige Ouimet, an economist and finance professor at the University of North Carolina, wrote in September.

Mild symptoms, employer accommodations or significant financial need can all keep people with long Covid employed. But in many cases, long Covid impacts work.

Katie Bach

nonresident senior fellow at the Brookings Institution

Katie Bach, a nonresident senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, has published one of the higher estimates to date. She found that 2 million to 4 million full-time workers are out of the labor force due to long Covid. (To be counted in the labor force, an individual must have a job or be actively looking for work.)

The midpoint of her estimate — 3 million workers — accounts for 1.8% of the entire U.S. civilian labor force. The figure may “sound unbelievably high” but is consistent with the impact in other major economies like the United Kingdom, Bach wrote in an August report. The figures are also likely conservative, since they exclude workers over age 65, she said.

“Mild symptoms, employer accommodations or significant financial need can all keep people with long Covid employed,” Bach said. “But in many cases, long Covid impacts work.”

Impact akin to extra year of baby boomers retiring

Other studies have also found a sizable, though more muted, impact.

Economists Gopi Shah Goda and Evan Soltas estimated 500,000 Americans had left the labor force through this June due to Covid.

That led the labor force participation rate to fall by 0.2 percentage points — which may sound small but amounts to about the same share as baby boomers retiring each year, according to the duo, respectively of the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Put another way: Long Covid’s labor impact translates to an extra year of population aging, Goda said.

For the average person, the work absence from long Covid translates to $9,000 in foregone earnings over a 14-month period — representing an 18% reduction in pay during that time, Goda and Soltas said. In aggregate, the lost labor supply amounts to $62 billion a year — equivalent to half the lost earnings attributable to illnesses like cancer or diabetes.

What’s more, foregone pay may complicate a person’s ability to afford medical care, especially if coupled with the loss of health insurance through the workplace.

A separate Brookings paper published in October estimated about 420,000 workers aged 16 to 64 years old had likely left the labor force because of long Covid. The authors — Louise Sheiner and Nasiha Salwati — cite a “reasonable” range of 281,000 to 683,000 people, or 0.2% to 0.4% of the U.S. labor force.

About 26% of long-haulers said their illness negatively affected employment or work hours, according to a July report published by the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. Those with long Covid were 10 percentage points less likely to be employed than individuals without a prior Covid infection, and worked 50% fewer hours, on average, according to Dasom Ham, the report’s author.

Return to work can be ‘a really frustrating experience’

Outside of these economic models, the labor impact was borne out in numerous CNBC interviews with long Covid patients and doctors who specialize in treating the illness.

Just half of the patients who visit the Mayo Clinic’s Covid Activity Rehabilitation Program can work a full-time schedule, said Dr. Greg Vanichkachorn, the program’s medical director.

“Because of the brain fog issues in addition to physical symptoms, many patients have had a really frustrating experience trying to get back to work,” Vanichkachorn said.

Those able to return, even part-time, sometimes face hostility from employers and co-workers, he added.

For one, many of the hundreds of potential long Covid symptoms are invisible to others, even if disabling for the afflicted. Difficulty meeting a work deadline due to brain fog or extreme fatigue, for example, may not be met kindly by their colleagues.

Long Covid is so different for so many different people.

Alice Burns

associate director of the Program on Medicaid and the Uninsured at health-care nonprofit The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation

“There are some people out there who don’t even think Covid exists,” Vanichkachorn said.

Meanwhile, long Covid can put even accommodating employers in a tricky situation. It can take several months for a patient to make progress in treatment and therapy — meaning some businesses may need to make tough retention, hiring and personnel decisions, Vanichkachorn said. Lengthy recovery times mean a patient’s job might be filled in the interim, he said.

And patients’ symptoms can relapse if they push themselves too rigorously, experts said.

“You can bring a [long Covid] diagnosis to your employer, but it doesn’t allow you to say, ‘I need to be part time for X number of months,” said Alice Burns, associate director of the Program on Medicaid and the Uninsured at health care nonprofit the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. “It may be more months or fewer months; it may mean you can return 10% or 80%.

“That’s just because long Covid is so different for so many different people.”

Why the long Covid labor gap matters

Jerome Powell, chair of the Federal Reserve, mentioned Sheiner and Salwati’s long Covid research in a recent speech about inflation and the labor market.

Millions of people left the labor force in the early days of the pandemic, due to factors like illness, caregiving and fear of infection. But workers haven’t returned as quickly as imagined, particularly those outside their prime working years, Powell said. About 3.5 million workers are still missing, he said.

While most of that shortfall is due to “excess” (i.e., early) retirements, “some of the participation gap” is attributable to long Covid, Powell said. Other big contributors to the shortfall include a plunge in net immigration to the U.S. and a surge in deaths during the pandemic, he added.

“Looking back, we can see that a significant and persistent labor supply shortfall opened up during the pandemic — a shortfall that appears unlikely to fully close anytime soon,” the Fed chair said.

That shortfall has broad economic repercussions.

When the U.S. economy started to reopen in early 2021 from its pandemic-era hibernation — around the time Covid vaccines became widely available to Americans — demand for labor catapulted to historic highs.

Job openings peaked near 12 million in March 2022 and remain well above the pre-pandemic high. There are currently 1.7 job openings per unemployed American — meaning the available jobs are almost double the number of people looking for work, though the ratio has declined in recent months.  

That demand has led businesses to raise wages to compete for talent, helping fuel the fastest wage growth in 25 years, according to Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta data.

While strong wage growth “is a good thing” for workers, its current level is unsustainably high, Powell said, serving to stoke inflation, which is running near its highest level since the early 1980s. (There are many tentacles feeding into inflation, and the extent to which wage growth is contributing is the subject of debate, however.)

A worker shortage — exacerbated by long Covid — is helping underpin dynamics that have fueled fast-rising prices for household goods and services.

But the labor gap is just the “tip of the iceberg,” said Stevenson at the University of Michigan. There are all sorts of unknowns relative to the economic impact of long Covid, such as effects on worker productivity, the types of jobs they can do, and how long the illness persists, she said.

“When you’re sick, you’re not productive, and that’s not good for you or for anybody around you,” Stevenson said of the economic impact.

For example, lost pay might weigh on consumer spending, the lifeblood of the U.S. economy. The sick may need to lean more on public aid programs, like Medicaid, disability insurance or nutrition assistance (i.e., food stamps) funded by taxpayer dollars.

Economic drag will rise if recovery rates don’t improve

In all, long Covid is a $3.7 trillion drain on the U.S. economy, an aggregate cost rivaling that of the Great Recession, estimated David Cutler, an economist at Harvard University. Prior to the pandemic, the Great Recession had been the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression. His estimate is conservative, based on known Covid cases at the time of his analysis.

Americans would forgo $168 billion in lost earnings — about 1% of all U.S. economic output — if 3 million were out of work due to long Covid, said Bach of the Brookings Institution. That burden will continue to rise if long Covid patients don’t start recovering at greater rates, she said.

“To give a sense of the magnitude: If the long Covid population increases by just 10% each year, in 10 years, the annual cost of lost wages will be half a trillion dollars,” Bach wrote.

Charlotte Hultquist

Charlotte Hultquist

Hultquist was able to return to the workforce part time in March, after a yearlong absence.

The Vermont resident sometimes had to reduce her typical workweek of about 20 hours, due partly to ongoing health issues, as well as multiple doctor appointments for both her and her daughter, who also has long Covid. Meanwhile, Hultquist nearly emptied her savings.

Hultquist has benefited from different treatments, including physical therapy to restore muscle strength, therapy to “tone” the vagus nerve (which controls certain involuntary bodily functions) and occupational therapy to help overcome cognitive challenges, she said.

“All my [health] providers keep saying, ‘We don’t know what the future looks like. We don’t know if you’ll get better like you were before Covid,'” Hultquist said.

The therapy and adaptations eventually led her to seek full-time employment. She recently accepted a full-time job offer from the New Hampshire Department of Health & Human Services, where she’ll serve as a case aide for economic services.

“It feels amazing to be recovered enough to work full time,” Hultquist said. “I’m very far from pre-Covid functioning but I found a way to keep moving forward.”

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