A digest of timely information and insight about finance, investing, and retirement.

Retirement regrets: What retirees would say to their younger selves | Washington Post
Recently, the author asked: If you could, what retirement planning advice would you give to your younger self based on what you know now? She posed this question to retirees and was subsequently overwhelmed with comments from those who wish they could go back and talk to themselves. But the advice doesn’t have to be wasted. There’s still time for others to learn from others’ mistakes.

The 5 fundamentals of retirement planning | Forbes
No matter who you are, retirement brings a time of change. No longer working every day and having to adjust to the financial changes can bring stress to anyone. However, with proper planning, you can look forward to this time with the excitement and the freedom that having a plan provides. Five fundamentals should be considered when planning for retirement.

After 40 years, some say the 401(k) is due for a facelift |Pensions & Investments
Of all the major milestones the 401(k) has crossed, its most recent stands out. Forty years ago, Congress paved the way for the birth of the nation’s first 401(k) retirement savings plan when legislators added paragraph (k) to Section 401 of the Internal Revenue Code. Since that day on Nov. 6, 1978, the 401(k) has grown and flourished, settling comfortably into households across America. Yet while many say it has aged well, plenty more say that it’s time for a few nips and tucks.

Politicizing the portfolio | Governing
In California and elsewhere, public employee retirement funds are grappling with the issue of ESG investing, a strategy based on an asset’s environmental, social and governance factors. The idea is that firms with sustainable environmental practices, who are good social stewards and have strong governance practices, are more likely to produce stronger returns over the long run. While the notion of ESG investing has been around for decades under one name or another, its current form has taken off in popularity as more sustainably minded millennial and Generation X investors have entered the stock and bond markets. Many governments have positioned themselves as good ESG investments in order to attract these investors. They’ve even generated new vehicles for investments, such as green bonds and pay for success bonds. But as a result, they’re finding themselves awash in controversy, accused of playing politics.

Before you retire, pay off that debt | CNBC
How you manage debt could have a big impact on how your retirement dreams play out. Four in 10 retirees cite “paying off debt” as a current financial priority—putting it on equal footing with “just getting by to cover basic living expenses” as a top concern, according to a new report from the Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies. Almost three in 10 cite paying down credit card debt as a priority, while 17 percent are focusing on mortgage debt and 11 percent some other consumer debt, such as medical bills or student loans.

Kentucky is in a $43 billion pension hole. Here are some reasons why | Courier-Journal
In 2000, Kentucky’s public retirement plans were fully funded. Since then, they’ve accumulated nearly $43 billion in debts—making Kentucky’s pension system one of the worst-funded in America. Determining exactly how Kentucky got into this mess is a complicated exercise, partly because the reasons vary among Kentucky’s distinct pension plans for teachers, state government workers and local government workers. But, in simplified terms, there are a few common reasons.