Social Security Retirees Are More Concentrated in US Assets Than They Realize. What to Do About It.
This financial analysis article highlights that typical American retirees, unlike wealthy families moving assets abroad, hold portfolios heavily concentrated in US assets through Social Security, domestic index funds, and real estate. Social Security pays $1.6 trillion annually to 70 million beneficiaries and is inherently a pure bet on the US economy, with inflation-adjusted benefits tied to US CPI-W. The article uses the case of a retired Ohio hospital administrator named Margaret to illustrate how her Social Security, IRA in a US total-market index fund, and paid-off home create 100% US exposure. While this concentration is unavoidable for Social Security, the article advises retirees to add modest international diversification to their investment portfolios through low-cost broadly diversified funds. The piece also includes a sponsored section promoting SmartAsset's financial advisor matching service.
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