BABY BOOMERS AND LOW RETIREMENT IQ
This week’s article tells us ” While many Americans believe they’re retirement savvy, the average baby boomer has trouble answering even simple retirement questions. New survey data shows folks between 52 and 70 years of age have a significant gap in retirement knowledge, resulting in little action toward securing their golden years.” Thinking about retirement isn’t just for seniors. The good news is there are products like Fixed Indexed Annuities that can provide lifetime income. Call us if this is an option you would like to explore. We’re always here to help.
EDUCATION AND RETIREMENT INCOME
This week’s article tells us that “While some recent studies have identified a decrease in the return to education as the labor market changes, education has a proven impact on lifetime income.” Lifetime income has such an extraordinary impact on our lives, whether it be as young adults or as we near retirement age. We have some ideas for ways your savings can provide you with an income you can’t outlive. Call us, we’re always here to help you explore options you may not have thought about.
MAKING BETTER DECISIONS
Weekly we try to provide you with information that may help you in your retirement planning. Sometimes that information is obtained from studies conducted through the use of a survey. You may ask how important surveys really are. This week’s article, out of Princeton Research Associates, tells us that “Knowing what people think and do helps everyone make better decisions. Businesses can make better decisions by knowing what people want and what people do not want. Professionals, such as doctors, make better decisions because surveys provide them with critical information about what works and what does not.” Call us if you’d like to hear information we have about what might work for your retirement. We’re always here to help.
IDENTIFY SHORTFALLS IN YOUR RETIREMENT INCOME STREAMS
This week’s article reminds us to ask the question “Now that you have created a retirement expense budget and have created a retirement income stream, how do they match up? Do you have enough retirement income to cover your monthly expenses with inflation? If so, are you comfortable with a margin of error? If not, now is the time to do something about it before it’s too late.” Call us if you would like to review your retirement budget and income stream. We’re here to help you maneuver through the difficulties of coming up with a good plan that will work for you.
DO YOU DRIVE IN THE FAST LANE OR THE SLOW LANE?
“On your way home from work, do you drive in the slow lane or the fast lane? Each person has a different propensity for risk. When investing, this risk propensity can be used to determine the percentage of your portfolio that is exposed to equities.” This week’s article provides a questionnaire that helps to determine your risk profile. You may find this useful in deciding how much of your money you would like to put into a product where the principal is protected from market downturns. Call us when you’ve had a chance to take a look, we’d be happy to discuss what your profile suggests might be good options for you. We’re always here to help.
RETIREMENT INCOME OPTIONS FOR WORKING FAMILIES
Did you know that by the year 2020 there will be more than 1 billion people over the age of 60 years old worldwide? That’s what I read in this week’s article which also said that “more older people around is not a bad thing”. However, one of the difficulties of getting older is determining where we will obtain the income that we will need to retire. Call us as we have some ideas for ways to obtain an income stream you can’t outlive. We’re always here to help.
RETIREMENT PITFALLS
Sometimes it is a good idea to review your retirement planning strategy and ask yourself if you are taking action that is sufficient to avoid some common pitfalls. This week’s article reminds us of six: waiting too long to save, not taking advantage of “Free Money”, underestimating medical expenses, lack of balance in your portfolio, relying on Social Security only, and retiring too early. If any of these are of concern to you and you would like to discuss options that may be available to you, call us. We’re always here to help.
OVERCOME FEARS AND TAKE ACTION
We have often spoken about how surveys “find Americans are most afraid of their money running out before their life runs out.” But this week’s article states that “they’re equally afraid that while they are alive, they won’t have the funds to enjoy their life and cover basic necessities.” Despite these fears, it is important to take action. “Those who plan for retirement save 3x more than those who don’t.” Call us if you would like to hear about some options you may not have considered in planning for your retirement. We’re always here to help.
DEBT IN RETIREMENT
We’ve spoken in the past about having adequate income during retirement, and have from time to time provided tools for estimating future financial needs. That’s why I found interesting this week’s article which concerns the role that debt can play in those calculations. The article references a nonprofit think tank study, out last year, “showing that 80% of boomers had debt and the median amount was a little over $70,100.” If you find yourself trying to evaluate your future income to cover anticipated needs, and would like to discuss options for income during retirement that you can’t outlive, call us. We are always here to help.
DIFFERENT RETIREMENT PRODUCTS
“Life is unpredictable.” This comment caught my eye in an article I read concerning “different retirement products and savings strategies that seem to be everywhere we look these days.” The article stated that there’s one retirement product that is making headlines and that is Fixed Indexed Annuities. “Did you know that by incorporating a Fixed Indexed Annuity into your portfolio, you can generate guaranteed lifetime income?” Call us if you think this goal is part of your retirement planning strategies. We are always available to answer whatever questions you might have.