Finance

It’s a case of broken promises. A growing number of companies are reneging on health insurance and other retirement benefits, leaving retirees scrambling and sometimes uninsured.

Retirees may be past the days of resolving to work out more or buy fewer $4 coffees. Yet when it comes to money in particular, resolutions may be even more important for those living on fixed income.

Odds are growing that you’ll live past 85. But will your money last that long? And what if you make it to 95 or 100?

It’s so tempting to want to give the grandchildren everything and put their wants and needs first. However, one of the common money mistakes grandparents make is to put spending on grandkids ahead of their own retirement security.

A growing number of grandparents are pushing lawmakers around the country to change state standards they say are too restrictive and ignore the unique bonds many grandparents have with their grandchildren.

Shelley Wernholm, who works for a health insurance company said she wanted to retire and move to a new home by 60. But her pension was eliminated five years ago, her personal investments tanked during the recession and her home of 21 years has lost more than half its value.

The fear of ending up poor or even running out of money in retirement still gnaws at many women in particular.

Kennedy’s original idea was to give families some financial breathing room. Most families cannot afford to hire a home health aide for a frail elder, let alone pay nursing home bills. Care is usually provided by family members, often a spouse who may also have health problems.

Christy Landrigan, of Fort Wayne, belongs to a growing number of adults who have moved back in with their parents. Adult children living at home climbed from 19 percent to 22 percent in Allen County between 2000 and 2010, according to recently released census figures.

By Lauran Neergaard WASHINGTON — America’s cities are beginning to grapple with a fact of life: People are getting old, fast, and they’re doing it in...