A survey for MassMutual found that Americans know when they would like to retire, but nearly half of them have not figured out how much money they will need. The average age at which Americans expect to retire is 62, but only 56% say they have made calculations to determine how much money they should save before retirement.

A bill sponsored by five Democratic senators seeks to authorize a 50% annual government match on up to $1,000 invested in a 401(k), IRA, 403(b) or 457(b) government retirement savings plan. If enacted into law, the Encouraging Americans to Save Act would also make the match available to participants in state and local government retirement programs such as OregonSaves.

One-third of Medicare beneficiaries were enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans last year, the Kaiser Family Foundation reports. The cost of these plans varies from state to state, with Nevada expected to have the least-expensive plans in 2019, according to one ranking.

Eighty percent of high-net-worth individuals surveyed by Allianz Life said they do not use required minimum distributions from retirement accounts for daily expenses. The survey also found 71% are interested in using the distributions to buy a financial product that could offset taxes.

Goldman Sachs analysts say their proprietary bear market indicator has reached 73%, the highest level in 50 years, suggesting the possibility of a severe market downturn and zero returns during the next 12 months. The indicator aggregates factors including manufacturing data, core inflation, yield-curve term structure and Shiller PE Ratio stock valuation, and the analysts say any figure over 60% signals a need for caution.

Bitcoin has posted a record low for the year, losing more than 10% of its value Wednesday to end below $6,000. CoinList President Andy Bromberg cites a schism caused by bitcoin's offshoot, bitcoin cash, for the sell-off, which hit other cryptocurrencies as well.

Comparing long-term bonds to annuities is tantamount to comparing apples to oranges because the point of an annuity is insurance against longevity risk, something no bond can do, says Jeffrey Brown, director of the Retirement Research Center of the National Bureau of Economic Research. He adds that "having a base of annuitized income is the only real way to ensure a basic level of income that cannot be outlived."

Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell has delivered an upbeat assessment on the health of the US economy, saying it has room for further growth. However, he noted potential headwinds from factors including slowing demand from abroad, protectionism and the effects of the end of fiscal stimulus, which could influence the Fed's longer-term policy on interest rates.

Advisers should not shy away from conversations about values with clients, as surveys show consumers are "ready to lead with their values," writes Evan Zall of Longview Strategies. He offers three "building blocks" for advisers to help them incorporate sustainable investing into their brands.

Once advisers "adopt the proper tech stack and learn how to use it," they will elevate their ability to attract and retain clients, writes Alex Chalekian of Lake Avenue Financial. A core tech stack should include three types of software: customer relationship management, financial planning and risk analysis.