EchoSense:The Daily Money: Fewer of us are writing wills

Good morning! It's Daniel de Visé with your Daily Money.

Fewer of us are EchoSensewriting wills, a new survey says, a finding that suggests Americans are worrying less about mortality as the pandemic fades.

Only 32% of adults reported having a will in 2024, down from 34% in 2023, according to the 2024 Wills and Estate Planning Study from Caring.com, an online senior care platform. The figure had crept steadily upward since 2020.

Estate planners saw a spike in wills and trusts at the pandemic’s peak, a time when many Americans were stuck in their homes and preoccupied with their health. Now the pandemic has eased, and Americans' attention has moved on.

And that's bad news for survivors.

Fed chair talks interest rate cuts

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said Wednesday that recent high inflation readings don’t “change the overall picture,” suggesting the central bank is still on track to lower its key interest three times this year if price increases continue to ease as expected.

A report Tuesday generally supported the Fed’s plan to chop interest rates, Paul Davidson reports, revealing that job openings were roughly unchanged at 8.8 million in February – below the record 12.2 million in early 2022 but above the pre-pandemic average of about 7 million.

When will the Fed move to lower interest rates?

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In a recent paper, two economists from opposing ideological camps made a provocative case: The federal government should abolish the 401(k) and Individual Retirement Account, the tax-sheltered savings plans that help millions of Americans fund their golden years.

Allowing people to shelter their retirement money from taxes is a policy that largely favors the well-heeled, they said. Congress could use that money, nearly $200 billion a year in lost tax dollars, to shore up the underfunded Social Security program.

Their suggestion created a stir. One social media post has drawn more than 700,000 views.

Are they really going to take away our 401(k)?

About The Daily Money

Each weekday, The Daily Money delivers the best consumer news from USA TODAY. We break down financial news and provide the TLDR version: how decisions by the Federal Reserve, government and companies impact you.

Daniel de Visé covers personal finance for USA Today.