Tag: retirement planning

A Roadmap to Retirement Success

Written on .

If you’re a retiree who worries a lot about your money, implementing a Roadmap to Retirement might be just what you need. Having a financial plan, in writing, works like the GPS navigation in your car, making sure you get where you want to go and don’t get lost in retirement.

A written retirement income plan will show you how much income you’ll receive from each source each year, what’s guaranteed and what’s not guaranteed. It will show you the amount of risk in your portfolio and the fees you’re currently paying and then the reduced risk and lower fees you’ll pay going forward.

Continue reading

Average Retirement Debt for Older Americans is Higher than Ever Before

Written on .

debt in retirement
What to Do if You Fear Your Debt Will Get in the Way of Your Retirement Plans

When it comes to retirement, the most common worry among workers tends to be whether they’re saving enough. However, with new reports showing that the average retirement debt is on the rise, many workers nearing retirement have an added concern to consider. According to the Federal Reserve Bank, Baby Boomers are carrying more debt into retirement than ever before.

Debt is often a serious source of contention and stress and carrying debt into retirement could be quite detrimental to achieving retirement dreams and goals. It can affect a retiree’s ability to pay necessary living expenses, keep their home, and even influence whether or not they can afford independent- or assisted-living facilities, should their health prevent them from living alone.

If you’re concerned about bringing debt with you into retirement, here’s how to tackle it ahead of time so that your retirement dreams can become your retirement reality.

Continue reading

How to Estimate How Much You’ll Need to Retire

Written on .

Four Steps to Arriving at Your ‘Enough’ Number

It’s tempting to think about retirement savings in black and white: there’s a “right” number you need to reach, at which point you have enough money saved to sustain your retirement. The trouble is, there is no right number because every retiree has a different picture of what their ideal retirement looks like. That means the amount of money you’ll need to retire could be vastly different – either far more or far less – than others your age, or even in your social circle. In order to truly understand what your retirement savings goal should be, you need to forget arbitrary numbers and come up with you own personal estimate.

Continue reading

The 3 Bucket Approach To Investing For Retirement

Written on .

When it comes to retirement, most retirees want less risk, smaller losses, to earn a reasonable rate of return, liquidity, and income that is guaranteed for life.

That’s why we created our 3 Bucket Approach, using multiple conservative asset strategies.

Continue reading

Are You Risking Your Retirement with These Two Investment Myths?

Written on .

successfully-retired-couple
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.

Continue reading

Your 401K Plan: Take Control at Any Age 59 ½ – Or Earlier

Written on .

Are you comfortable with the risk, volatility, and potential losses in your 401K plan? We have found most people have a large portion of their retirement savings are dependent on their 401k plans, yet they don’t understand or even like their 401K. They feel stuck.

If you’re working and 59 ½ or older, the IRS allows you to enact an “In-Service Transfer” of your current 401K plan to your IRA of choice, and you won’t pay any income taxes on the transfer. An “In-Service Transfer” can be very beneficial for a 401k plan, if you are trying to reduce risk, fees, or establish a plan now that will provide you guaranteed lifetime income when you retire.

Continue reading

How To Turn Your Portfolio Into Dependable Monthly Lifetime Paychecks

Written on .

The number 1 fear almost every retiree has is running out of money during retirement, however, there is a way that you can set yourself up for dependable income in retirement. If yours is not guaranteed to be paid to you for as long as you live, you’ll continue to worry day-after-day, year-after-year.

You can eliminate your fear of running out of money by creating income in retirement that’s guaranteed to be paid to you for as long as you live, regardless of stock market volatility, losses, or longevity.

Stocks can’t provide you a high level of income guaranteed for as long as you live, neither can mutual funds, bonds, bank accounts, or CDs.

Continue reading

5 Financial Attitude Adjustments To Make For Retirement Success

Written on .

For decades you’ve been a dedicated saver for retirement, seen crashes and rallies, gotten a lot of advice, and have tried to do all the right things with your money, but you still worry. The biggest problem isn’t your lack of understanding; it’s that you don’t have an actual written plan.

Continue reading

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

Written on .

successfully-retired-couple-on-bench
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.

Continue reading

9 Questions You Must Be Able to Answer For a Secure Retirement

Written on .

Here are 9 basic questions you must be able to answer for a safe and secure retirement, so you can stop worrying about your money:

#1 – How much money can you safely take out of your assets for income?

#2– How long will your money last?

#3– Does your portfolio guarantee you won’t run out of income for as long as you live?

#4– How can you protect your assets against volatility and large losses?

Continue reading