October is Financial Planning Month

Financial Planning and Your Retirement

Every year, the month of October is designated as Financial Planning Month, and with the end of the year approaching, it is a good opportunity to review your finances and make or review your financial plan.

Here are some tips to use financial planning basics for your retirement:

The average retirement age for Americans is somewhere between 62 and 65.  In order to retire by 65, you will most likely need to have accumulated a decent amount of savings by the time you reach your 60s.

A recent study found that the average American between the ages of 55 and 64 has saved about $100,000 for retirement. That is actually not a lot when you realize that sum would translate into a $310 monthly payment if your money were invested in a lifetime annuity.

It would be wise to take a careful look over your portfolio, and start making some projections about whether you will have enough money to stop working (and earning income) on the date you’ve targeted for retirement.

On that note, some people make good use of the tactic to delay their retirement so as to take advantage of a larger Social Security benefit. Your benefit at full retirement age is based on your highest 35 years of earnings. But what if there is a low or zero income year in those top 35 years? By delaying retirement and working an extra year in your late career, you could increase your payout by raising the amount in those top 35 years.

And when making your projections, don’t forget to factor in other possible sources of retirement income, such as an employer pension plan and/or cash value from a permanent life insurance policy.

Set a Target Retirement Date

This will give you something to aim for, and with a date in mind, you can work backward and come up with milestones that you’ll need to meet along the way.

Plan Your Retirement Budget

One budgeting strategy is to plan on needing between 70-80 percent of your pre-retirement income during retirement. This is based on the assumption that you will no longer need to support children, you may have paid off your home mortgage, and you won’t have employment expenses like clothing, commuting, eating lunch out, etc.

However, these “savings” can easily be offset by unknown variables, such as inflation and additional unplanned expenses, especially if you plan to live an active retirement lifestyle. The future cost of healthcare is an especially big unknown. If you want to travel extensively, entertain, eat out frequently, or participate in expensive hobbies during retirement, be sure to factor these costs into your retirement cost-of-living budget.

Over time, inflation erodes the value of your money and reduces your purchasing power. As a result, a dollar in 10 years will likely buy you less than a dollar today. What cost $1 in 1990 would cost you almost double that today ($1.84).

Adjust Your Asset Allocation 

As you approach retirement age, it may be wise to begin shifting your asset allocation mix to lessen exposure to investments that may be more volatile in the short term and adopt a more conservative approach.

The idea is to manage your savings and investments in a way that will help protect rather than grow your income and principal as you prepare to pass from the accumulation to the withdrawal phase of retirement planning.

Inflation and Social Security

Every month, over 62 million people receive a Social Security benefit check, and approximately 70% of these individuals are seniors. Of these aged Americans, 62% lean on Social Security to provide at least half of their income during retirement. 

Based on an analysis from The Senior Citizens League, the purchasing power of Social Security income has dropped by 34% since 2000. And if this trend is unchecked, then that number will only get worse. 

Retirement Lifestyle 

Many people enter retirement with no idea of how they will spend their time. Start thinking now about the activities and hobbies you want to pursue when you retire. It doesn’t really matter what they are — the important thing is that you have a plan designed to keep your mind, body, and financial security in good health.

 

IMPORTANT DISCLOSURES

Material contained in this article is provided for information purposes only and is not intended to be used in connection with the evaluation of any investments offered by David Lerner Associates, Inc. This material does not constitute an offer or recommendation to buy or sell securities and should not be considered in connection with the purchase or sale of securities.

To the extent that this material concerns tax matters, it is not intended or written to be used, and cannot be used, by a taxpayer for the purpose of avoiding penalties that may be imposed by law.

Each taxpayer should seek independent advice from a tax professional based on his or her individual circumstances.

These materials are provided for general information and educational purposes based upon publicly available information from sources believed to be reliable– we cannot assure the accuracy or completeness of these materials. The information in these materials may change at any time and without notice.

David Lerner Associates does not provide tax or legal advice. The information presented here is not specific to any individual's personal circumstances. Member FINRA & SIPC.