Retirement worries abound

A survey by the Society of Actuaries has found that older Americans are worried about money. No kidding? Of course they are! Thanks to the interest rate slashing by the Fed, retirees are earning almost no interest on their avings accounts and CDs. And those conservative savings options are a big part of the portfolios of many retirees.

In fact, a retiree's savings account isn't even growing fast enough to cover the rising costs of food and fuel. Add to that concerns like paying for long-term care and health care costs, and many older Americans are very afraid of what their financial futures hold.

And here's a statistic to keep in mind: A 65-year-old man is expected to live another 17 years and a 65-year-old woman is expected to live another 20 years. Americans are living longer and that means they need more money in savings if they're going to maintain their standard of living into their late years.

If prices continue to rise while earnings from savings continue to dwindle, older people will likely have to rely more on their families for support as they age. Get ready for mom and dad to move in with you if things don't turn around for older Americans. Yikes!

Tracy L. Coenen, CPA, MBA, CFE performs fraud examinations and financial investigations for her company Sequence Inc. Forensic Accounting, and is the author of Essentials of Corporate Fraud.