Are You Risking Your Retirement with These Two Investment Myths?

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Pervasive Misinformation Could Cost You in Retirement

In our many years working with clients, we have noticed a disturbing trend: most people are investing based upon two faulty premises, both of which are pervasive myths and neither of which are in an investor’s best interest:

  • The Myth of “Riding Out the Market”
  • The Myth of Getting a “10%+ Annual Return”

Have you heard these? Are you investing based upon them? If so, you’re not alone. However, we’re here to tell you that these myths are old-school and outdated, and they aren’t serving you as well as you may believe.

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Questions You Must Be Able to Answer to Have a Successful Retirement

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Do You Have Responses to these Critical Retirement Planning Considerations?

All retirees have their own unique beliefs about what a successful retirement looks like, yet too many are unable to answer important financial questions about achieving that success. And, when you can’t find answers to your most pressing money questions, it’s difficult to feel financially secure.

In our 50+ years of experience, we’ve come to realize that there are nine specific questions you need to be able to answer about your money in order to plan – and achieve – a successful retirement:

  1. How much money can you safely take out of your assets for income?
  2. How long will your money actually last?
  3. Can you guarantee you will never run out of money?
  4. How can you protect your assets from volatility and losses?
  5. How much income tax will you pay on your income distributions?
  6. How much will you lose if the market takes another big drop?
  7. Is it OK to start spending some of your money?
  8. What are the total fees you are really paying and how can you reduce them?
  9. What is going to happen if you or your spouse pass away?

If you can’t answer these nine questions, it means your retirement planning is based on hope and luck – not the best recipe for success. Read on to learn Momma’s Secret Recipe, instead.

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What is Your Desired Retirement Lifestyle?

desired retirement lifestyle

Even though finances are important, life isn’t just about money. Rather than have your finances dictate your retirement lifestyle, your retirement lifestyle can help dictate how you plan for your finances. After all, two people with similar amounts of money could have completely different concepts of what constitutes their desired retirement lifestyle. No matter if your priority is traveling, working part-time for fun, or just enjoying your free time, it’s important to have a comprehensive financial plan in place. Whether you’re a few years from retirement or adjusting to retirement, spend time thinking about your desired retirement lifestyle.

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Spending Your Free Time in Retirement

If you’re planning on taking a vacation, it’s probably something that you’ve looked forward to for a while now.  And, that’s what retirement is about…  It’s your 30 or more year vacation.  Whether you’re traveling, volunteering, taking up new hobbies, or relaxing with friends and family, retirement is a time to unwind and do something you enjoy. One thing that’s great about life in retirement is the freedom you have to choose how you want to spend your time, and the people you want to surround yourself with. So, here are some potential ideas to consider when spending your free time in retirement.

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Lifestyle Tips to Consider for Retirement

You’ve worked the majority of your life, and deserve to have many blissful years ahead. With a proper plan and execution strategy in place, you should be on track to accomplish all of your retirement goals and dreams. If it’s been a little while since your last retirement review, then CLICK to request your complimentary, no-obligation meeting.

Here are 3, quick and easy lifestyle tips to consider for your life in retirement.

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4 Phases in Retirement

Everyone talks a lot about how to prepare for retirement financially, but there is less focus on how to adjust your mindset in retirement and manage expectations. You might not be happy every single day in retirement, but that doesn’t mean your retirement won’t be happy. Transitioning into retirement is no small task, and research shows that the way people feel about their retirements follows a u-shaped curve; first people are quite positive, then not as much, and then are positive again. It seems that there are 4 phases in retirement.

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Put Your Money to Work

You’ve worked for your money, and retirement is the time to have your money work for you. But what does this mean? Basically, your goal in retirement should be to turn what you’ve saved into retirement income. Many Americans are worried about running out of money since pensions are rare and there are reasons why you can’t rely solely on Social Security in retirement. But if you’ve saved a substantial nest egg of 1 million dollars, you can use these strategies to help make your savings last and put your money to work.

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Plan to Maintain Your Independence This 4th of July

Many Baby Boomers are watching their parents age to the point where they should move out of their home – and refuse. Maybe it’s that they are stubborn when it comes to their independence, or maybe they refuse to be a burden on their children. While these sentiments are admirable, older children can be faced with daily anxiety about their elderly parents’ wellbeing alone in their homes. At the same time, they can probably sympathize with the desire to remain in one’s own home, a comfortable and familiar environment where one is independent. If an elderly relative’s experience with aging in place has you thinking about how you will stay in your home, consider these home renovations. Even after the fireworks are over this 4th of July, you’ll be thinking about how to maintain your independence throughout retirement.

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Finding Happiness in Retirement

There’s no doubt that our culture is obsessed with youth and often overlooks the benefits of aging. You may not have looked forward to getting older when you were younger, but now that you’re nearing retirement you may have gained a different perspective. The fact is, older Americans tend to be happier, according to a Gallup-Healthways poll that measured various aspects of well-being like sense of purpose, social relationships, financial well-being, community involvement, and physical health. There could be many reasons for these findings, from financial stability, to an active social life. However you plan on finding happiness in retirement, remember that aging is associated with an increased sense of well-being from a financial and emotional standpoint.

Older Americans were reportedly more satisfied with their standard of living and financial stability, and experienced less stress and worry related to these things. At a certain point in life, you learn that money doesn’t buy happiness, but it can make life easier and make you feel confident about your future well-being. When you begin planning for retirement, you may be surprised by how much wealth you’ve accumulated over the course of your career. It can be nice to know that you’ve worked hard to earn your nest egg, and can enjoy yourself in retirement without worrying about your financial stability.

Many say that people gain wisdom as they age. Part of being wise is understanding what makes you happy and orienting your life around those things. Older Americans were reportedly not only financially better off, but emotionally better off than those under 30. This was measured by asking people what they felt the day before: Smiling/laughing, learning/doing something interesting, being treated with respect, enjoyment, and happiness, or, sadness, anger and stress. Americans aged 60 to 99 were the age group most likely to be emotionally well off. The great thing about retirement is that you have the time to pursue activities you find interesting and enjoyable, be it spending time with your grandchildren, traveling, or volunteering.

After some people retire, they may feel a loss of purpose when they no longer have regular career-related goals to accomplish. Becoming involved in their community could be a solution if you want to enhance your happiness in retirement.  Community involvement may play an important role, as another study shows that Americans who receive recognition from their communities have a higher well-being. Volunteering and community involvement are important parts of retirement for some people who are interested in aging in place and want to use their free time to help others and improve the place they’ve called home for many years. And, Americans who have received recognition for their work are less likely to experience worry and stress.

Here at Peak Financial Freedom Group, we know how important your retirement is. After a successful career, retirement can be a time to slow down, enjoy what you’ve earned, and focus on your family, friends, and community. We can help you plan for a long retirement with a comprehensive plan that takes your unique goals into account. Click here to schedule your no cost, no obligation financial review today.

How to Pass on a Retirement Account

Estate planning is complicated: The fair decision may not actually be the most practical one. What does this mean? It means that even if you divide up your estate equally between your beneficiaries, they could get hit with unequal tax burdens. So, good estate planning requires more than just good intentions. If you plan on leaving a legacy, you should take each of your beneficiary’s finances into account when dividing up your assets.

Estate planning is so crucial because when a beneficiary inherits an investment account, they also inherit income tax liability. When someone inherits an IRA, they will owe federal and possibly also state taxes on the funds for as long as they make withdrawals. When someone inherits a taxable investment account, they pay taxes annually on interest and dividends in addition to capital gains. When it is passed on, unrealized gains are eliminated for the beneficiary, allowing the beneficiary to inherit the account with no income tax liability.

These facts matter even more if the beneficiaries are in different tax burdens. For example, if one beneficiary is in the 35% tax bracket, and another is in the 10% bracket, the first could end up with tens of thousands less than the second if they inherit equal amounts from an IRA because of their different tax burdens. To minimize taxes, the first beneficiary could inherit assets from taxable accounts, and the second could inherit IRA funds. On face value, these might be unequal amounts, but when each beneficiary’s tax burden is taken into account, the overall tax burden and the difference between what each end up with could be significantly reduced.

If you want to take on the tax burden instead of leaving it to your heirs, you can convert to a Roth IRA during your lifetime. Considering the relatively low tax rates and recent market volatility, you might be considering if now is the time to convert to a Roth IRA. That way, funds can continue to grow tax free in the account, even after it is passed onto a beneficiary.

Discussing how you will distribute assets with your beneficiaries can help avoid conflict between them if it appears that one is receiving more than the other. Explaining the complexities of tax burdens and taxable accounts versus tax advantaged accounts can be a good idea if you’re distributing your inheritance unequally.

Most importantly, be smart about your estate planning so that what you’ve earned gets passed on to the people who are important to you. The best plan isn’t always the simplest, so consult the professionals at Peak Financial Freedom Group. We can help you divide your retirement accounts and assets among your beneficiaries. Click here to visit us online and schedule you no cost, no obligation financial review today.