Kiplinger

5 Retirement Lessons Learned From the Great Recession

Ten years ago, retirement dreams became nightmares. Stocks plunged as the government took over Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, Lehman Brothers went bankrupt, and the Reserve Primary Fund suffered losses, shattering investor confidence in safe-haven money-market funds. For many, it was the most hair-raising moment in a crisis that ultimately wiped out $3.4 trillion in retirement savings.

The pain didn't stop with the market slide. The financial crisis also meant plummeting home values, stagnating wages, a loss of job security and the start of a long era of rock-bottom interest rates that proved devastating for savers.

Although stocks have now rebounded, the job market is strong, and

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