New Mexico has dropped back to 50th for child well-being in the national 2022 KIDS COUNT Data Book rankings, although this ranking isn’t comparable to our 49th ranking last year. Still, everyone is likely feeling disheartened by this news. However, even though we are ranked last, our state has made incredible long-term progress in improving child well-being, and we can continue to make progress if we put kids at the heart of New Mexico’s future policy decisions.

Despite New Mexico’s ranking, we have seen real improvements in child well-being over the last decade. New Mexico has improved in 11 of the 16 indicators tracked by KIDS COUNT.

Notably, 7% fewer children live in poverty...

The New Mexico Foundation of Open Government

The mission of the New Mexico Foundation of Open Government includes advocating, educating and litigating to help New Mexicans vindicate their rights under the First Amendment to the Constitution.

Freedom of the press is one of the hallmarks of American democracy and enshrined as one of the five freedoms in the First Amendment – freedom of press, freedom of assembly, freedom of petition, freedom of religion and freedom of speech.  This is not just an opinion, it’s the law. The Constitution recognizes the right (and duty) of the press to report all news.

A key to democracy is information and we live in an information age. Secrecy has the...

“Transitioning from saver to spender can be a disconcerting shift for many seniors. A more systematic approach to spend-down can help.”

Transitioning from being a saver in the accumulation phase to a spender in the spend-down stage of your financial life means you will be required to not only keep a close eye on your investments, spending, and taxes but also for creating your own “paycheck.”

For some retirees, this paycheck might result from living off the interest or dividends from investments. Others may prefer more predictable income sources, including annuities and Social Security. These “safe money” assets can help you achieve more peace of mind and perhaps cover your...

“Since the pandemic was first declared, over 2 million older workers have exited the workforce for good. But, unfortunately, this is not always by choice.”

 

Forced early retirement is a problem for the entire nation.

In the period after the COVID-19 pandemic was declared a national emergency, thousands of older Americans found themselves out of work. A significant segment of those affected by the economic downturn is over age 50. Many of these older workers had no choice other than to enter an unanticipated early retirement.

Are you prepared if you have to retire early?

Unplanned retirement nearly always creates long-term financial insecurity, especially for the most...