Get first decade of retirement right. Most people tend to spend more money than what they plan. As you get older, particularly after age 74 there is a tendency to spend less money, even when healthcare costs are taken into account. As you get older there’s less opportunity to spend your money and most people will save it with the intention of giving it to their children.
Consumers must also decide when they’re going to take their old age pension. If you wait until you’re 65 you will collect the maximum, or at age 67 with the new laws that are in place you will then collect your maximum. If you take your pension earlier there will be a penalty as much as 30%. Deciding how you’re going to handle your investments and make up for that loss of 30% is a particularly difficult issue for many people.
What should you do
The longer that you can delay taking your pension the more money you will have. If you can also work longer, or reduce your expenses to ensure that you have sufficient money to live on while you’re retired this is also a positive thing to do. Delaying taking your pension will decrease that 30% penalty and if you can wait until your age 65 or 67 you will have no penalty at all and will increase your overall pension income by 30%.
All of these issues are important to take into account while you’re planning your retirement income. Not all of the income that you will have from pensions, government and employee pensions, and also your investment income without having to touch the principal.
If the combined income is sufficient without having to touch the principal and you’re in a good position. If however you must start withdrawing principle you must take into account and plan for the future well into your 70s and 80s to ensure that you will have sufficient income.
Get First Decade of Retirement Right – Investments
What if the stock market tanks
You must also take into account the stock market will be volatile and will be significantly up one year and could be significantly down the next year by as much as 20 or 30%. If you are withdrawing principle when the stock market is down by as much as 20 or 30%, this can really eat into your overall savings and decrease the chance of your savings last your lifetime.
Do a risk analysis on your portfolio and assume a 20% decline in the stock market to assess whether your plan will last your lifetime. If your principal will not last your lifetime, you should probably consider taking less money out of your plan each year and making up the difference with either spending less, getting a job or selling some other asset.
The first years of retirement can be very difficult and critical in terms of ensuring that your investment plan will last your lifetime. get it right and you’ll be very comfortable, get it wrong and you will not have as comfortable a retirement as you had hoped.
Rules for early retirement
1: Early retirees: Don’t fear losing your health insurance
2: Getting ready to retire? Save more, spend less
3: Use your home to boost retirement savings
4: Budget and plan your financials
5: Retiring? Time to look for a part-time gig
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