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There's No Such Thing as the Average Canadian Retiree. There Are Three.

You've seen the photo. Silver-haired couple on a sailboat, or walking on a beach at golden hour, laughing about nothing in particular. It's on the cover of every retirement brochure ever printed. It's what "the average Canadian retiree" looks like. In thirty years of banking, I never met that couple. I met a widow in her seventies deciding between a dental crown and her property taxes. I met a couple in their sixties quietly draining their RRSPs to keep a grandchild in university. And yes, I met people with sailboats, though they weren't asking me about retirement income. They were asking about estate freezes and charitable foundations. Three conversations. Three completely different Canadians. And after three decades of having them, most recently as a vice president at one of Canada's Schedule I banks, I've come to believe our biggest retirement problem isn't that Canadians plan badly. It's that we keep designing for an "average retiree" who doesn't exist. In The Canadian Retirement Evolution, a report newly published by EY that I was proud to co-author, I make the case for seeing Canadian retirees as three distinct groups. 1) Retirees in Need (roughly 30%) Nearly one-third of Canadian retirees are living close to the edge. Limited pension income, modest personal savings, and rising living costs define their retirement. Adding to the pressure, retirement debt is becoming the new reality. According to Royal LePage, 29% of Canadians who are recently retired or approaching retirement expect to continue making mortgage payments on their primary residence. For many Canadians, debt has become a permanent companion, extending well into what should be their most financially secure years. Perhaps the most troubling reality is this. Most people in this group have never received professional financial advice. The Canadians who need planning the most are often the Canadians the financial planning industry reaches the least. That should concern every financial institution, advisor and policymaker in this country. When retirement arrives with too little income, too much debt and no plan, the result is not just financial stress. It is anxiety, reduced independence and difficult choices that no Canadian should have to make after a lifetime of work. 2) Retirees Seeking Stability (roughly 60%) This is the majority of Canadian retirees, and the group that the sailboat photo completely misses. They are not financially struggling, but neither are they financially free. They have enough to retire, but not enough to stop worrying. What they want is simple. They want to maintain the lifestyle they spent forty years building. They want confidence that their money will last as long as they do. They want a retirement plan that offers stability and predictability. And they want the freedom to help the people they love, whether that's contributing to a grandchild's education, helping with a first home, or lending a hand when life throws one of their children an unexpected curveball. That is where retirement becomes complicated. Retirement has changed dramatically over the past three decades, but much of the advice Canadians receive has not. The result is a growing gap between today's retirement realities and yesterday's retirement plans. Every dollar shared with family is one less dollar available to fund their own future. Every unexpected expense raises the same unsettling question: Will I still have enough? This group lives in the space between abundance and anxiety. They have assets, but not always confidence. They have choices, but every choice comes with trade-offs. They don't need a miracle. They need a plan that provides stability, predictability, and the confidence to enjoy the retirement they worked so hard to earn without constantly wondering if today's decisions will become tomorrow's regrets. 3) Affluent Retirees (roughly 10%) The remaining ten percent focuses on sophisticated wealth management: transferring wealth to the next generation, structuring estates to minimize taxes, and giving philanthropically. These are good problems to have, served by an entire industry built to solve them. And that's the uncomfortable truth hiding in the framework: most of our retirement advice, most of our products, and most of our planning tools were designed with this group in mind. Retirement Fear Has a Name In 1990, more than 70% of Canadian workplace pension plans were defined benefit plans, providing predictable, guaranteed lifetime income. By 2022, that figure had fallen to just 37%. In the span of a single working generation, we quietly shifted the risk of outliving retirement savings from institutions to individuals. The anxiety created by that shift is something I encountered in thousands of conversations with Canadians throughout my lending career, long before I had a name for it. I call it FORO, the Fear of Running Out. In the EY report, we describe it this way: "Fear of running out (FORO) reflects a structural gap in retirement system design, not a failure of individual planning. Most retirement frameworks were built for accumulation rather than sustainable income in later life." That is the heart of the challenge. Canada's retirement system does an excellent job of helping people save, but far less to help them transform those savings into sustainable, predictable income throughout retirement. It is little wonder that so many Canadians approach retirement with uncertainty rather than confidence. The Elephant in the Living Room One final reality deserves far more attention. Canada is in the midst of one of the largest intergenerational wealth transfers in its history. Much of that wealth is tied up in residential real estate, owned by Canadians who consistently say they want to remain in their homes for as long as possible. That creates an important contradiction. The largest asset held by most Canadian households is also one of the least integrated into mainstream retirement planning. We encourage Canadians to build home equity for decades, then often ignore it when they need income the most. If retirement planning is meant to consider every available resource, why do we continue to overlook the largest one? Resolving that question has become the focus of my research and my forthcoming book, Your Retirement Reset: How to Convert Home Equity into Financial Security (ECW Press, September 2026). But that discussion extends beyond the scope of this article. For now, it is enough to recognize the disconnect. Retirement has changed. Canadians' balance sheets have changed. It may be time for retirement planning to change as well. A Retirement System Designed for Everyone The EY report reminds us that retirement is more than a financial milestone. It is one of life's most significant transitions, and every Canadian deserves to approach it with confidence, dignity and choice. That outcome will not be achieved with a retirement system designed around a single, hypothetical retiree. Canadians retire with different financial realities, different goals and different challenges. A retirement system that recognizes only one path will continue to leave too many people behind. Designing for the three retirement realities outlined in this paper is not simply good policy. It is good business. Financial institutions that tailor products, advice and education to meet the needs of all three groups will be better positioned to serve Canada's fastest-growing demographic. Policymakers who encourage that evolution will help create a retirement system that reflects the way Canadians actually live today, not the way they lived thirty years ago. The question is no longer whether retirement has changed. It has. The question is whether our retirement system will evolve quickly enough to meet Canadians where they are. Don't Retire... Re-Wire! Sue

How Wildfires Impact Vulnerable Communities, Pets and Public Health Systems

Wildfires burning across the world, now in parts of France and Spain, are forcing hundreds of thousands of people to evacuate. University of Delaware experts are available to discuss wildfire evacuations, vulnerable communities, animal rescue and the health effects of wildfire smoke exposure. Those experts, from UD’s Disaster Research Center, include: Sarah DeYoung Professor of sociology and criminal justice: • How people are forced to make split-second decisions involving horses, livestock and companion animals during fast-moving wildfires. • Why some owners must turn animals loose when evacuation time is limited. • Lessons from past disasters and animal rescue research. Jennifer Trivedi Assistant professor of anthropology: • The unique challenges faced by vulnerable populations during wildfires. • Complications surrounding evacuation decision-making and evacuation needs. • Long-term recovery following catastrophic disasters. Jennifer Horney Chair of UD’s Department of Epidemiology: • Health risks associated with wildfire smoke exposure, including respiratory infections. • How wildfire smoke and airborne pollutants affect population health. • The strain major wildfires can place on public health and health care systems. To arrange an interview with these experts, visit their profile page and click on the "contact" button. Interested journalists can also send an email to MediaRelations@udel.edu.

Deaths, resignations in Congress test narrow majority

United Press International (UPI wire service) interviewed Meena Bose, Hofstra University professor of political science, executive dean of the Public Policy and Public Service program, the Kalikow Chair in Presidential Studies and director of the Kalikow Center for the Study of the American Presidency, about the death of Senator Lindsey Graham and President Donald Trump‘s choice of the late Senator’s sister Darline Graham Nordone, to succeed him. Until the midterm elections, Nordone will hold that position in an honorary capacity. There are four active vacancies on Capitol Hill with Nordone filling Graham’s seat. “The issue here is really that there have been vacancies and resignations and that the margin is so narrow for party control, particularly in the House of Representatives,” Dr. Bose told UPI. “The number of resignations or decisions not to run for re-election is indicative of questions about why people want to serve in office or indicative of a question of are people hesitant to serve in public office, and if so, why?”

Fewer Essays, Fiercer Odds: The New College Application Math

A growing number of top colleges — including Tulane, Washington University in St. Louis, and UNC Chapel Hill — are trimming or eliminating supplemental essays, citing student stress and the rise of AI-assisted writing that makes it harder to tell who actually wrote an application. But the shift comes with a catch: fewer barriers to applying tend to mean more applications and lower admit rates. The Wall Street Journal explored the trend, and pointed to Texas Christian University as a case study already living the tradeoff. Heath Einstein is Vice Provost for Enrollment at Texas Christian University, now in his 13th year at TCU after previously serving as dean of admission and director of freshman admission. With more than two decades in admission and college counseling, he is a frequent speaker at national conferences and a voting delegate to the National Association for College Admission Counseling's Assembly, the governing body that sets national admissions-practice standards. He has chaired Texas ACAC's Government Relations and Advancement committees, received the association's Founders' Award, and served as Board Chair of ACCEPT: Admissions Community Cultivating Equity and Peace Today. His expertise spans cultural humility, shared governance, crisis management, staff development, and data analytics.  Einstein was recently featured in The Wall Street Journal article “Colleges Juice Application Numbers by Letting Students Write Fewer Essays” by Roshan Fernandez (July 10, 2026), which examines how cutting supplemental essays is reshaping admissions strategy nationally. “TCU said responses to the questions it cut—about its values and inclusivity—lacked originality. ‘You still see a narrowing to the mean,’ said Heath Einstein, vice provost of enrollment management. ‘Students are still going to respond in ways that they think we want to hear.’ Einstein said the school's aim in expanding application numbers is simply to increase enrollment, not lower its admit rate.” Einstein is available to speak with media on college admissions strategy, the impact of AI on application review, supplemental essays and holistic review, enrollment management, and higher-education leadership through crisis and change — all live issues as the 2026-27 application cycle takes shape. To arrange an interview or request a comment, click through to Heath Einstein's profile below.

New Gallup–Lumina Study Data Suggests Parents Can't See What a University Degree Is Really Worth

Sixty-three percent of Americans say four-year colleges are doing a poor job of making education affordable. Twelve percent say they're doing well. That figure is getting a lot of attention along with other results in the latest Gallup and Lumina Foundation survey of 2,043 adults. Ironically, this data will surprise very few people working in the sector who are paying attention. When you look at the data, one number stands out and provides hope for institutions. Among parents who hold a college degree, 48 percent want a four-year university for their child. And among parents with some college or a high school diploma, fewer than 20 percent do. Both groups want education after high school. What separates them is whether the parent has personally experienced what a degree does to employment, earnings and job satisfaction. So the case for the four-year degree is currently being carried by "lived experience", which, by definition, does not reach families who haven't had it. These are the families four-year institutions most need to reach. Community colleges, by contrast, show what the alternative looks like when it's explained well. They're rated good or excellent by 68 percent on access, 61 percent on quality, 54 percent on affordability and 52 percent on workforce preparation. Four-year institutions lead in one category: advancing knowledge and new discoveries, 53 percent to 46. Price is where institutions have hurt themselves most directly. Net prices have fallen across income brackets and institution types over six years, yet colleges continue publishing sticker figures that most enrolled students never pay. Courtney Brown calls transparency “the missing link in rebuilding trust.” A family that can't determine the price before applying will assume the advertised number is the price. The 3 Themes Run Through this Data Evidence has to Connect with Audiences Who Have No Reference Point: Institutions often position for families who already understand how higher education works. And the survey suggests the persuadable audience is the one that doesn't. Unexplained Value Doesn't Count: A college credential that costs less, takes two years, and ends in a job explains itself. A benefit that compounds over thirty years does not, and most institutions have responded by falling back on median starting salary. Universities need to show other evidence of value.  Scattered Evidence Isn't Discoverable: Aid data, outcomes, faculty expertise, and research impact each live in a different department, in different faculties, and in different systems. It’s challenging for CMO’s to unify all this information. But the market isn’t waiting for that to happen. Students and families now hand that assembly job to an AI search tool, and whatever it retrieves and attributes is functionally what the institution has said. None of this starts with a campaign. Write down the ten questions families ask most often, then check what your website, your faculty pages and an AI assistant currently return for each one. Most institutions find the evidence exists and nobody can locate it. At ExpertFile we understand we can’t fix all of these problems. Nonetheless, we’re working hard to make faculty expertise and research more findable and relatable to a variety of audiences - this includes the students and families that have important questions about the value of university. Americans have not given up on higher education. They just want clearer evidence of what it costs and what it returns, and they want it from credible voices willing to put their names to it.

Summer slide isn't just about academics

As summer reaches its midpoint, many parents are wondering how to keep their children engaged without turning the rest of the break into summer school. University of Delaware professors from the College of Education and Human Development say "summer slide" is real. However, preventing summer learning loss doesn't require expensive camps, tutors or educational apps. Instead, simple everyday activities can help children build academic skills, executive functioning and social-emotional development before they head back to school. Roberta Michnick Golinkoff, internationally recognized expert in child development and early learning can comment on: Why children lose academic skills over the summer – and why the effects are greatest for under-resourced families Why parents shouldn't rely on "educational" apps Free, research-backed ways to keep preschoolers and elementary-age children learning through play, reading and everyday activities like grocery shopping, puzzles and scavenger hunts Andrea Glowatz, expert in special education and child development can comment on: Why boredom is actually good for children – and how it builds creativity, problem-solving and independence How summer routines help children, particularly those with learning differences or neurodivergence Why chores, calendars and family routines strengthen executive functioning, not just responsibility Sara Goldstein, expert in adolescent development and parent-teen relationships can comment on: Why teenagers experience a version of the summer slide through increased screen time, disrupted sleep and reduced activity Healthy ways parents can encourage independence before college, from managing money to building life skills Research showing that strengthening parent-teen relationships during the summer benefits both parents and young adults These experts can also comment on broader parenting topics including screen time, executive functioning, preparing children for the new school year, supporting neurodivergent learners, and helping teens transition to college. If you're planning back-to-school or parenting coverage and want to speak with any of these experts, click on their profiles or email mediarelations@udel.edu.

Georgia Southern collection curator works with Yale University on uncovering the rich story behind a rare American artifact

Gretsch Collection Curator Matthew Hill, Ph.D., is accustomed to handling, researching and presenting iconic guitars and drums from the Fred and Dinah Gretsch Collection of Musical Instruments, offering insight into musical artifacts that have shaped contemporary culture. However, discovering a lost story of American Revolutionary history is a new development in his career at Georgia Southern University. Hill had taken on a complex project, collecting and presenting information on the history of the American drumset through the analysis of French and American drums, when his friend and fellow curator, Christina Linsenmeyer, Ph.D., at Yale University’s Morris Steinert Collection of Musical Instruments brought to his attention an American Revolutionary War drum in Yale’s collection. Together, they discussed what might be learned through closer study of the instrument to better understand its place in American history. “I removed the tensioning ropes and we saw that the inscription read ‘Benjamin Clark. Royalton, Mass. 1781’ and that immediately started ringing bells with me,” Hill said. “1781 was a super important year in the American Revolution as it was essentially the time the hostilities began to wind down before it officially ended in 1783.” The drum originally came from the Belle Skinner collection of musical instruments in Massachusetts. Skinner, a wealthy heiress and philanthropist, acquired her extensive collection of instruments in the 1920s and 1930s and displayed them in a specially constructed arcaded gallery at her mansion, Wistariahurst. Yale would later obtain her collection in 1960, more than two decades after her death. Until now, the true rarity and unusual nature of the drum had not yet been fully realized. “There are very few authenticated American Revolutionary War drums,” Hill said. “Aaron Philips, our special collections curator, photographed the instrument, and Dr. Brent Tharp aided in the historical research of Benjamin Clark. And we found evidence of the person behind the name inscribed on the drum.” Hill says Clark is the most noteworthy musician of the American Revolution. He can be placed at the major battles of Trenton and Saratoga and also likely participated in the Battle of Bunker Hill. However, Clark’s involvement in historic American combat isn’t the only fascinating aspect of the man’s life. He’s also important because he was one of two musicians who wrote down what the drumbeat cadences of the Revolutionary War sounded like. “Clark’s drum book of 1797 is probably the most important,” Hill explained. “By way of writing his manuscript, Clark is one of the main sources for our understanding of Revolutionary War drumming. He is a significant figure, just on his own.” American drum sets during this period focused heavily on practicality, according to Hill. However, Clark’s drum was highly decorated, which was very unusual and included a notable, highly recognizable American adage. “‘E Pluribus Unum’ is written on the drum. It was an official American motto very early on,” Hill said. “But in 1781, it wasn’t that common and would not become more common until later. So this is a noteworthy prominent early use of ‘E Pluribus Unum.’” Hill, alongside other curators at higher education institutions, is working to share this unique discovery with public audiences. In order to best preserve and honor the legacy of the instrument and the drummer who carried it throughout America’s battle for independence, Hill reached out to the Massachusetts Historical Society so that Georgia Southern and Yale Universities can collaborate on a joint publication reproducing Clark’s manuscript, the drum itself and the music that would have carried soldiers across the battlefield. The first and only edition of Clark’s manuscript was privately produced in the 1970s. More recently, Hill and Tharp also presented an essay on this drum at the American Musical Instrument Society’s conference in Vermillion, South Dakota, “A Different Drummer (and His Drum): Benjamin Clark’s Revolutionary War Drum of 1781 and His Drum Book of 1797.” For Hill and fellow historians, this new discovery is not only interesting but also remarkable. “It was like Howard Carter finding the tomb of King Tut, for me. I understood his excitement when I realized what an incredible artifact I had come across that had been so well-preserved from the American Revolution,” Hill said. “But what’s most exciting to me is what will come from all of this work and what we will contribute to the greater body of knowledge surrounding the development, implementation and history of the American drum.” As the United States of America celebrates its 250th anniversary, scholars like Hill continue to unearth hidden artifacts that illuminate the origins of an enduring nation. Want to talk to Dr. Hill about this discovery? Contact Georgia Southern's Chief Communications Officer Jennifer Wise at jwise@georgiasouthern.edu to arrange an interview.

A New Tick Is Moving In on Long Island — And Changing the Landscape for Lyme Disease

There's a new tick establishing itself across the region, and it's not the one most people are used to watching for. The Asian longhorned tick, first detected in the U.S. in 2017, has been steadily expanding its range along the East Coast — including into the backyards, parks, and preserves of Long Island. Unlike the blacklegged tick most associated with Lyme disease, this invasive species reproduces asexually, meaning a single tick can start an entire population, and it's showing up in numbers that are hard to ignore. Russell Burke, professor of biology at Hofstra University, has spent more than a decade studying the ecology of Lyme disease on a continental scale — including how tick host diversity affects disease risk across the eastern U.S. That work has now expanded to track a newer arrival: the Asian longhorned tick, and how its invasion and spread is reshaping the tick communities long dominated by the blacklegged tick, the primary vector of Lyme disease. What he can speak to: How the Asian longhorned tick got to the U.S., and why its ability to reproduce without mating makes it uniquely fast at colonizing new areas What the tick's expansion means for the local ecology of ticks on Long Island, and how it may be competing with or displacing established blacklegged tick populations Why the Asian longhorned tick is not currently considered a significant carrier of Lyme disease itself, but why its presence still raises concerns for public health and agriculture What residents, hikers, and pet owners should know about identifying and avoiding exposure to this new tick species The broader pattern of invasive species establishing themselves on Long Island, and what that signals about changing ecosystems Connect with: Russell Burke Professor of Biology Dr. Burke's current research involves diamondback terrapins at Jamaica Bay, wood turtles in northern NJ, ticks and Lyme disease, and the coyote invasion of Long Island. Key Topics: Ecology · Conservation Biology · Herpetology · Urban Ecosystems Reach Professor Burke through the Contact button on his profile below.

Sharks as Ocean Sensors: How New Tagging Technology Is Advancing Marine Science

University of Delaware researchers are helping to expand how scientists observe the ocean by developing and deploying animal-borne electronic tags that turn sharks into mobile ocean sensors. The research is led by UD marine scientist Aaron Carlisle, who studies shark ecology, movement patterns and conservation. He can discuss how tagging technology is helping researchers better understand sharks and the ocean environment. The data collected by the tags allow researchers to gather ocean temperature and salinity measurements from parts of the Atlantic that are difficult and expensive to monitor consistently. These observations could help scientists better understand the Mid-Atlantic’s seasonal “cold pool,” a layer of colder bottom water that can influence how quickly hurricanes intensify. This summer, Carlisle and his team are conducting offshore tagging expeditions in the Mid-Atlantic aboard UD's R/V Daiber, where they are testing redesigned tags. Carlisle also studies human impacts on shark populations, including recent research examining the international trade of sand tiger sharks and the biological, ethical and economic concerns surrounding the harvest of a protected species for aquarium display. Carlisle’s expertise includes: • Shark ecology, movement patterns and conservation. • How satellite-linked tags allow researchers to collect and transmit ocean data. • How animal-borne sensors can help researchers gather observations from difficult-to-monitor parts of the Atlantic. • How ocean temperature and salinity data can improve understanding of hurricane development and ocean processes. • How shark-based observations can complement existing ocean observing networks. To arrange an interview with Carlisle, visit his profile and click the contact button. Interested reporters can also send an email to MediaRelations@udel.edu.

Why Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey Still Matters

Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey is bringing one of the world’s oldest and most influential stories back to the big screen. Beyond the monsters, battles and epic-scale adventure, Homer’s story asks questions that still feel immediate. What happens after a long war? What makes a leader legitimate? How do displaced people find their way home? Can violence ever truly restore order? Luke Madson, visiting assistant professor in Greek and Roman Studies at Hofstra University, can help audiences look beyond the spectacle. Madson teaches Greek and Roman epic, mythology, tragedy, comedy and the literature and culture of the ancient world. His research into ancient Greek politics, political identity and historical storytelling also provides insight into the power struggles, competing loyalties and contested ideas of leadership found throughout the epic. An Epic Shaped by War The Odyssey is a story about what comes after war. Odysseus survives Troy, but his journey home reveals the toll of conflict on soldiers, families and societies. In Ithaca, his absence creates a power struggle as the suitors compete to replace him. Drawing on his expertise in ancient Greek politics, Luke Madson can explain how early audiences understood this crisis and why it resonates amid displacement, political instability and contested leadership. Strangers, Stories and Power The epic repeatedly asks how societies treat outsiders. Through the Greek tradition of xenia, Odysseus encounters communities where strangers are welcomed, exploited or attacked, connecting the story to modern debates about migration, refugees and borders. Odysseus also changes identities and carefully shapes his story for different audiences. Madson can explore how persuasion and reputation shaped authority in the ancient world, and how these themes relate to propaganda and misinformation today. A Source for Stories Beyond the Screen Journalists covering Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey, Greek mythology or the modern relevance of ancient stories can connect with Luke Madson for expert commentary and interview support. He can provide historical, political and cultural context on topics such as: The lasting appeal of Odysseus and the hero’s journey War, displacement and the challenges of returning home Leadership, legitimacy and political instability Hospitality, migration and the treatment of outsiders Storytelling, propaganda and political identity Revenge, justice and cycles of violence How modern adaptations keep Greek mythology relevant The political and cultural world behind Homer’s epic As Nolan brings The Odyssey to a new generation, Madson can help audiences understand the ancient ideas and conflicts behind the spectacle, and why they continue to resonate today.