The Indicator from Planet Money Retirement luck, Hassett hassles the Fed, and boneless chicken in ... court?
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Feb 20, 2026 A look at how tiny differences in retirement timing can reshape lifetime wealth. A debate over a Fed research paper and who really bears the cost of tariffs. A quirky legal fight over whether boneless chicken should be labeled as such.
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Retirement Outcomes Depend On Timing
- Retirement wealth can vary hugely just because you retire in a lucky or unlucky market year.
- Jesus Fernandez Villavirte's simulation found cohorts retiring in 2000 were ~2.9x richer than those retiring in 2009.
Manage Timing Risk Before You Retire
- Be flexible about your retirement age to reduce the luck factor in final portfolio value.
- Keep a cash reserve so you avoid selling depressed stocks right as you retire.
Tariffs Largely Burden U.S. Buyers
- Most of the tariff cost falls on U.S. importers and consumers, not foreign exporters.
- The New York Fed estimated about 94% of the tariff burden hit U.S. businesses and consumers during the early Trump tariffs.