$3.4 trillion. According to a new study, that’s how much retirees have lost, and are losing, by not making the optimal decision when it comes to when to claim Social Security benefits. That’s $111,000 per household! According to the study, “the average Social Security recipient would get 9% more income in retirement by making the ‘financially optimal’ decision about when to claim benefits.” So what is the “financially optimal” decision – and why aren’t retirees making it and leaving trillions on the table? CLICK HERE.
Retired
The Financial Downside Of A Longer Life – And One Way To Plug A Potential Retirement Savings Gap
The fastest-growing demographic in the developed world is people over the age of 100 – a positive development for those desiring a long life but a challenging one when it comes to funding a retirement that could last 20 to 30 years or longer. With the average 65 year old American estimated to only have enough savings to fund about 10 years of retirement (and similar shortfalls in other advanced countries), a recent report from the World Economic Forum warns of a several hundred trillion dollar global retirement savings shortfall by 2050 – and has a suggestion for those who want to avoid facing a retirement savings gap. CLICK HERE.
Right-Sizing Your Retirement Risk
“The riskiest day in your entire financial life is the day you retire,” declares one investment manager cited in today’s article, which examines the critical conundrum that retirees face today: “How to invest in retirement with enough risk to maintain your purchasing power for 30-plus years while not taking so much risk that you leave your underbelly exposed.” So what are some strategies for doing so – including one strategy that involves maintaining a specific constant equity exposure throughout retirement? CLICK HERE.
The Unavoidable Retirement Inflation Bet
“Never overlook the pernicious and toxic impact of inflation over periods as long as retirement,” warns the author of today’s article. He outlines why inflation over the next several decades could actually be significantly higher than currently assumed – and how, if that proves to be the case, it would make inflation-indexed annuities (or real annuities), generally considered very expensive, more valuable. For more – including why the author concludes that “you can’t avoid making an implicit bet on inflation no matter what you do” – CLICK HERE.
How To “Win With Small Steps” – And Boost Your Retirement Savings By $800,000 Or More
If you’re one of the (too) many Americans that have too little – or nothing at all – in the way of retirement savings, a simple strategy that could boost your savings by $800,000 (and possibly even more) sounds like something worth having a look at – and that’s exactly what the author of today’s article outlines. And while getting the maximum benefit from this strategy requires having many years until retirement, it can still make a significant difference for those close to retirement. For more on this “win with small steps” strategy, CLICK HERE.
Spend Now Or Spend Later? The Consequential Retirement Tradeoff
It’s an important decision with potentially major consequences: how much do you take out of your portfolio each year when you retire. Take out too much and you risk running out of money down the line; take out too little and you are foregoing a better retirement lifestyle and experiences. In today’s article, the author runs some hypothetical numbers illustrating the potential impact of this tradeoff – and outlines some options for dealing with it. For more, CLICK HERE.
Retiring, With Ethics
When it comes to investing according to environmental, social, or corporate governance (ESG) standards, today’s article notes that “While returns can vary from year to year, ethical investors tend to perform better than investors who don’t use social or “sustainable” principles.” Thus, it is possible to generate good returns in your retirement portfolio while doing good with your retirement portfolio. But where to start in locating funds with ESG goals that have track records of strong performance? The author identifies some useful resources. For more, CLICK HERE.
Investment Practices Of The “Navy SEALs” Of Retirement Savers
The author of today’s article likens them to an “elite Navy SEALs team of retirement savers”: those with $1 million or more in their 401(k). And after membership in this elite group decreased in the final months of last year as volatility in the stock market took its toll, the number of 401(k) millionaires ticked back up in the first quarter of this year. So what does it take to become a 401(k) millionaire? The author lays it out, noting that “even if you never join this elite group, the boot camp-like discipline its members practice can still leave you in better shape for retirement.” For more, CLICK HERE.
An Overlooked Retirement Plan – And Getting Aggressive With Your Taxes
“Let me put it this way: you wouldn’t not take your mortgage interest deduction because… you didn’t feel like it? Or it was hard?” points out the author of today’s article. And yet a surprisingly large number of Americans are not taking advantage of major tax breaks available to them – including what the author refers to as “The one retirement plan that goes completely overlooked”. For more on how to become more tax aggressive, CLICK HERE.
Completing A Comprehensive Stress Test Of Your Retirement Plan
Stress tests aren’t just for banks – they’re useful for retirement plans too! And a comprehensive stress test of your retirement plan involves more than just stress testing your portfolio: the author of today’s article advises that “you should stress test your venue, your retirement and income portfolios, and anticipated leisure pursuits.” For more on carrying out a comprehensive stress test of your retirement plan – including how to test whether your portfolio can survive a market shock and how many times it may be prudent to visit prospective retirement venues – CLICK HERE.
