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Pulling back the curtains on wage-theft enforcement in MN; Trump's latest attack is on RFK, Jr; NM LGBTQ+ equality group endorses 2024 'Rock Star' candidates; Michigan's youth justice reforms: Expanded diversion, no fees.

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Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg says rebuilding Baltimore's Key Bridge will be challenging and expensive. An Alabama Democrat flips a state legislature seat and former Connecticut senator Joe Lieberman dies at 82.

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Historic wildfires could create housing and health issues for rural Texans, a Kentucky program helps prison parolees start a new life, and descendants of Nicodemus, Kansas celebrate the Black settlers who journeyed across the 1870s plains seeking self-governance.

Survey: "Anxiety Index" Especially High Among Pre-Retirees

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Tuesday, August 14, 2012   

PHOENIX - Americans 50 to 64 years are today's "most politically and economically anxious voters," according to a new AARP survey known as the "Anxiety Index." Seventy-two percent of that age group think they will likely have to delay retirement. More than half fear that they won't be able to retire at all.

Retirement educator Andy Landis, author of "Thinking Retirement," hears such concerns frequently, but he says sometimes the anxiety can be minimized by running the numbers.

"First of all, let's get clarity. Sit down with one of those simulators or with a financial planner and let's see where we stand. How far apart are we from the numbers we need to make ends meet?"

He suggests a trial run - living within projected retirement income - for increasing confidence. He adds that many people decide that delaying retirement for just a few years can make a big difference when it comes to savings and benefits.

The survey found that 65 percent of pre-retirees doubt they'll be able to live comfortably in retirement.

Pollster Guy Molyneux with Hart Research Associates says such findings aren't typical for this age group.

"People between the ages of 50 and 64 are at a peak of earning power in their life. They have more money saved usually than younger people do. So, we do not expect to see the highest levels of economic anxiety among that age cohort."

He thinks today's unusually high anxiety index among those over 50 who have yet to retire is tied to current economic and political conditions.

"What the boomers have taken away from all of this - the stresses of this economic catastrophe and their particular concerns about retirement - is they've decided this has made Social Security and Medicare more important than it ever was before."

According to the survey, only one-third of people over 50 are concerned about finding or creating jobs. Instead, their top worries center around other aspects of financial security, such as inflation, taxes and health-care costs.

The survey is at www.aarp.org.




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