Socially Responsible

QWhere can I learn about which companies are being socially responsible, treating employees well and being good to the environment? — T.L., Columbus, Indiana

AOne useful reference is Corporate Responsibility Magazine’s annual list, The 100 Best Corporate Citizens. Its rankings take into consideration a company’s performance on climate change, employee relations, human rights, corporate governance, financial performance and philanthropy. The top 10 companies for 2017 are Hasbro, Intel, Microsoft, Altria, Campbell Soup, Cisco Systems, Accenture, Hormel Foods, Lockheed Martin and Ecolab. (You’ll find the entire list at thecro.com.)

The 2017 World’s Most Ethical Companies list, via Ethisphere.com, includes names such as 3M, Aflac, Allstate, Colgate-Palmolive, Deere, Dell, Eli Lilly, Ford, GE, Kellogg, L’Oreal, Levi Strauss, LinkedIn, Marriott, Mastercard, Microsoft, PepsiCo, Royal Caribbean Cruises, Starbucks, T-Mobile, Target, UPS, USAA, Visa, Volvo, Wyndham and dozens more.

Learn more about socially responsible companies at sites such as socialfunds.com, csrwire.com and ussif.org.

Q AHow much might health care cost me when I’m retired? — H.E., Pleasanton, California It will probably cost a lot. You have Medicare to look forward to, but it’s not free, and even with it, you’ll still have out-of-pocket expenses.

According to Fidelity Investments, an average 65-year-old couple retiring this year will spend about $260,000 on health care in retirement — not counting the cost of long-term care.

That’s just an average, though. You might end up spending significantly more — or less — than that. Still, it’s a useful reminder that health care costs can be substantial and should be factored into your retirement planning.

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