The Takeaway: Three-Quarters of Minority Retirees Struggling Financially

The majority of Asian, African American and Hispanic retirees in the United States struggle to cover basic living  expenses, according to new research from the nonprofit Wider Opportunities for Women (WOW). "With many people of color working in low wage jobs, they are unable to save for retirement, leading to overwhelming numbers of older African American, Hispanic or Asian Americans who are not able to cover their most basic expenses as they age," Donna Addkison, the president and CEO of WOW, told Reuters. A lifetime of lower-wage jobs also means smaller Social Security benefits in retirement.

The Elder Economic Security Index estimates that a single, retired adult needs between $19,000 to $25,000 a year to cover the costs of living, and couples need between $29,000 and $39,000. Only about a quarter of older Asian, African American and Hispanic adults in the U.S. have retirement incomes within those ranges, according to WOW's analysis of Census data.

"Basic expenses" include things like housing, food, utilities, transportation, health care and medications. Overall, 52 percent of retiree households report incomes considered inadequate to cover these costs. For Asian retirees, the number rises to 65 percent; 74 percent of African American retirees and 76 percent of Hispanics fall below the secure income range.

For single retirees, the picture is even more grim, with only 17 percent of single Hispanic retirees, 21 percent of single black retirees and 28 percent of single Asian retirees reporting incomes considered sufficient to cover basic needs.

Thursday Quick Hits:

• Senator Bob Corker, senior Republican on the Senate Aging Committee, said the United States is heading for a long-term care "crisis," and "there is no doubt there is a public sector role" in the future of financing long-term care services.

• Gen X-the post-boomer generation, born from 1965 to 1981-is the first to deal with the fact that the models of American retirement are completely changing. "Gen X is a transition generation," says Carol O'Rourke, a certified financial planner.

• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that the proportion of people over 85 who died as hospital patients dropped to 29 percent in 2007, from 40 percent in 1989; the proportion who died at home rose from 12 to 19 percent.

• And .. Remembering Dick Clark: CNN shares reader comments on the entertainment icon, who died Wednesday at 82. "Just knowing that he was still involved with music and the kids that grew up with him helped us deny our own aging," wrote one commenter. "Clark always came across as this classy and friendly guy who genuinely enjoyed the music he played," wrote another.

Photo: Andersen Ross/Blend/Aurora