Should You Speed Up Your Retirement Plans?

 According to a March 2021 survey, an estimated 2.8 million Americans age 55 and older decided to file for Social Security benefits earlier than they expected because of COVID-19. This was about double the 1.4 million people in the same age group who said they expected to work longer, presumably due to pandemic-related financial losses.1

Many older workers were pushed into retirement after losing their jobs, and others may have had health concerns. Still, it appears that work-related stress and the emotional toll of the pandemic caused a lot of people to rethink their priorities and their retirement timelines.

Catalytic Converter Thefts Are on the Rise: Here’s Why

 According to the National Insurance Crime Bureau, catalytic converter thefts began to skyrocket during the second half of 2020, and local reports indicate that the trend continued in 2021.1–2

Catalytic converters, the small muffler-like devices that help control pollution from auto emissions, have always been a target for thieves because they contain precious metals more valuable than gold and are easily accessible under the car, between the engine and the muffler. (If your car sounds like a jackhammer, your converter may be gone.)