A digest of news from publications around the nation about finance, investing, and retirement

Medicare for All? A Public Option? Health Care Terms, Explained | NPR

What’s the different between single-payer, Medicare for All, and a public option? Especially during this presidential election year, health care terms flood the airwaves. The large field of Democratic contenders makes keeping track of the various policy ideas that much more challenging, even for those who closely follow political or health care news. This article summarizes some of the most common terms you’re hearing.

Retiree Living Standards, Ranked by State | Squared Away Blog

Money in, money out. Understanding what retirement looks like requires thinking about both income and spending. Doing so can illustrate, for example, why states with low costs of living can still have high percentages of retirees with low standards of living. A new study by the University of Massachusetts’ Gerontology Institute in Boston uses these factors to identify retirees who live in the “gap”—above the poverty line but still saddled with economic insecurity.

Healthcare Affordability State Policy Scorecard | Altarum

A study released in January examined health care policy and outcomes at the state level for all 50 states and Washington, D.C. In particular, the study tracked state policies that:

• Extend health care coverage to all residents and policies
• Make out-of-pocket costs more affordable for consumers
• Reduce low-value care
• Address excess prices

Overall, Colorado ranked eleventh among all states.

Find out your financial well-being | Consumer Financial Protection Bureau

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has a ten-question survey to see how your financial well-being compares to your peers, and to the population as a whole. After you’ve finished the short quiz, you’ll find useful resources for more information on debt, home ownership, retirement planning, and other common financial topics.

Here’s the grade most Americans give themselves for retirement readiness | USA Today

A study conducted by Harris Poll for TD Ameritrade shows that many Americans don’t feel ready for retirement. Some key findings:

• Fewer than half of those in their 50s have at least $100,000 saved
• The vast majority are changing plans due to the fact that average lifespans are increasing
• About 60 percent don’t plan to cut back on spending until they retire
• Nearly 70% wish they had started saving earlier