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Mistakes to Avoid in Retirement

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In many finance websites, blogs, and articles, a lot has been said about how to prepare for retirement, but I believe there hasn’t been enough written about what to do when you get there. More specifically, there’s a lack of content about mistake, or mistakes, to avoid.

In this article, we’ll explore several mistakes to avoid when you reach this milestone.

Spend beyond your means

This seems obvious, but once the psychological barrier of spending versus savings is breached, people (not everyone) develop this mentality of “I saved for 40 years for this moment, why shouldn’t I enjoy it?”

You should enjoy it. You worked your butt off for it, right? There are strategic ways to do this, however. The mistake is going gangbusters right away.

  • Create a budget/spending plan – Your budget in retirement will be different than your budget before retirement. Create line items for everything, and get real granular with your discretionary spending (i.e. sub line items to breakdown where the discretionary spending is actually going).
  • Plan for healthcare – Healthcare costs, generally speaking, will be your largest expense in retirement. Plan accordingly.
  • Income strategy – More than likely, you’ll have a few different income sources (social security, pension, retirement distributions, etc.). Create a line item for each source.
  • Senior discounts – Take advantage of every single one. There might be a psychological hesitation with this, as it forces you to come to terms with your age/where you are in life
  • Spoil grandkids – Every grandparent wants to spoil their grandkids to death, but it must be done within reason. Get creative and be strategic about when and how much.

Make Quick Decisions

Another mistake is making quick decisions. Don’t do it. Any decision you classify as BIG needs to be well thought out. This could be anything like moving, downsizing, vacations, or eliminating a vehicle.

I would argue that any decision about an expense that’s not in your budget/spending plan, should be thought about for several days. My rule of thumb is a week. By then, the euphoria of such a purchase has gone away, then you think more logically about it.

Investing Aggressively

Over the years, a big mistake clients make is the desire to invest more aggressively than they should. Oftentimes, this is to compensate for an inadequate savings rate during their working years or a significant market pullback that hurt their portfolio.

While capital appreciation is still an investment objective in retirement, it’s no longer the primary goal.

This primary goal should be capital preservation. Limiting losses on what you have. This has less to do with time and more to do with your decreasing ability to go out and make more money. Allocate your portfolios accordingly.

Ignoring Estate Planning

Estate planning is a key ingredient to your financial planning recipe. It mustn’t be ignored. Every debt and asset you have needs to be accounted for, listed, and given a task for when you pass.

Estate attorneys can be expensive, but I believe it’s 100% necessary to find one you trust, so your estate is well taken care of.

Isolating Yourself

Your social life is more important than ever. Countless studies show that people with strong relationships outlive those that don’t. So the mistake here is not making your social life a priority.

Join a community, volunteer, retain, and nourish friendships. Whatever flavor of social life sounds desirable, make it a priority.

Letting Yourself Go

Taking care of your mind and body is always important, but especially now. It will keep you healthy, therefore, lowering your healthcare expenditures, but it’s also another way for you to meet people.

Go for walks with neighbors and/or friends. Join a gym. Many of which have reduced rates for seniors. Additionally, many health insurance companies have “silver sneaker” programs that offer inexpensive services and programs for seniors.

Expecting it to be easy

This is a BIG life change and the transition will not be easy.

Not only will you shift from saving to spending, but those social connections you developed over your working years can reduce in frequency and strength.

Go easy on yourself and be patient.

Taking Social Security too early

Unfortunately, there are situations and scenarios where taking Social Security Income (SSI) distributions early is necessary. However, for those of you where this does not apply, speak with a trusted advisor about optimizing your SSI strategy.

Getting Swindled

Scammers adapted. They’re smart and they know how to target susceptible people. Unfortunately, elderly individuals are inherently more at risk than the general population.

Any email, phone call, or text that you receive (unsolicited, of course) should be greeted with a fair amount of skepticism. Don’t willingly give out any pertinent information (name, DOB, social security number, etc.).

Doing it alone

A BIG mistake people make is thinking they can plan by themselves. It would behoove you tremendously to consult with several experts. Estate attorneys and financial advisors should be at the top of this list.

Do your research, check online reviews, and get testimonials from trusted contacts. Having capable professionals in your corner could set you up for success and put your mind at ease.

Related reading:

Why Asset Allocation Matters

Your Go-To Budget Guide

Why Your Will Should Be Up To Date

Your Estate and Your Family

Moving: Another State, Another Country

Audit Your Digital and Financial Life

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There’s no better time to audit your financial and digital life than tax time.

Having these two things orderly and up to date not only helps you stay organized but also gives you an opportunity to review your progress.

Review your budget

First things first. Review your budget.

Have any line items changed? Have there been additions? Maybe you paid off a debt and that line item can be dropped off?

If that’s the case, you can adjust your debt repayment plan. Whatever money was going to that paid off debt, funnel it a different one. You can do that by using one of two strategies.

One, the debt avalanche, where your dollars go to the debt with the next highest interest rate. Two, the debt snowball, where you focus that money on the debt with the next lowest balance.

Related: Your Go-To Budget Guide, How to Pay Off Credit Card Debt

Increase savings rate

If it’s been a while since you adjusted your savings rate, now is the time to see if you can tolerate an increase. Bump up your salary reduction plan an additional 1%. If you’re saving $50 per month for emergencies or your kid’s college fund, can you do another $10?

Review investment portfolio allocation

Is your current portfolio allocation still suitable? Whether or not you rebalance can hinge on two things. One, did your risk tolerance or time horizon change enough to warrant an adjustment? Or two, did your investments perform so that you’re no longer where you started?

Asset allocation tends to get out of whack when stocks perform well. 2018 is a good example, where the S&P 500 index finished up over 20%. More than likely, some rebalancing took place at the beginning of 2019.

Related: Why Asset Allocation Matters

Tighten up your expenses

Sell items you no longer have use for. You get rid of some clutter and can make a little money in the process.

Review your subscription list and get rid of things you don’t need. With so many subscription-based offerings, it’s easy to keep saying yes until you’re shelling out too much money each month. Audit these subscriptions and get rid of the ones you don’t need.

Call your internet provider. It’s more costly to acquire a customer than it is to retain a new one so they should work with you a little.

Do the same thing with your credit card company. They want to collect on the debt you owe them, so if that means lowering your APR by a percentage point or two, they’re more willing to help you out.

Related Reading: Quick and Easy Ways To Save Money

Digital

As our devices become more and more embedded in our way of life, we accumulate various types of accounts. Email, social media, and the like; this leads to endless different amounts of information that can be used against you. Time to purge (not like the movie).

  • Destroy or recycle old devices – This will clear up space that can be better used by something else. Make sure you wipe the device before recycling it.
  • Change passwords – Complex passwords are vital in our data-driven society. Long passwords with numbers and special characters must be used to protect your data.
  • Remove old accounts. Social media, email, and apps that you no longer use can be deleted and removed. Make sure that you delete the data from those accounts before you remove them, however. Just in case the owners of the site/app/program use the data from those apps for their personal gain.
  • Make sure your devices are up to date – This is elementary data protection. Up to date devices have patches for bugs and possible holes in their system. Your operating system is your first line of defense.

Keeping your life organized and performing a regular review/audit is imperative, whether we’re talking about your digital or financial life.

Related Reading:

Top Technology Trends That Will Dominate The Banking Industry

Three Ways To Cut Business Expenses

Why Your Will Should Be Up To Date

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With the Coronavirus making its way through countries and countless healthcare systems, it’s a good opportunity to check in with everyone about their will and general estate planning.

We’ve written a couple of posts about the finer details of estate planning, but one of the most important things you can do is make sure that you have an updated will.

Beneficiaries

A beneficiary is anyone that will receive an asset, or assets when you pass away. You will have beneficiaries listed on your retirement accounts and life insurance policies. They can also be added to brokerage accounts via a Transfer on Death (TOD) designation.

It’s important to note that beneficiary designations and TOD designations bypass probate. The assets that the deceased owned at the time of death do not need to go to court. They go directly to the beneficiary (beneficiaries) listed on the account.

So…why is it so important to keep your beneficiaries up to date? The obvious answer is because life changes all the time.

Life Changes

People get married, divorced, re-married, etc. People have kids or marry someone that already has kids. The more grim circumstance is when a beneficiary predeceases you. It’s unfortunate, but something that does happen.

When you assign beneficiaries, there is often a box you can check labeled “per stirpes”. This simply means that if one of your beneficiaries passes before you do, that beneficiaries portion would be received by their children instead.

Not only can changes take place with your beneficiaries, but they can also change with the people you’ve entrusted with your estate. Roles like the power of attorney and executor.

Again, people can pass away before you and/or relationships can fall out of favor.

When it comes to your assets, those change often too. Good or bad years in the stock market can see drastic fluctuations in portfolio value.

Moving will change your residence, but it can also change your net worth depending on the value of your new home and how much you owe on that home. Remember Finance 101? Net worth = assets – liabilities?

Consequences

There could also be consequences for not having an updated will. The wrong beneficiaries could receive assets. Your power of attorney could be your brother and not your sister.

You actually have a much higher net worth than you thought, so now your heirs will have to pay estate taxes. Had you known that, you could have taken advantage of the gift tax exclusion and shared your wealth in order to bring your net worth down to avoid taxes.

To sum things up, you need an updated will because the items within it are going to change…plain and simple.

Related Reading:

How Long Should You Keep Financial Records After Death?

Your Estate and Your Family

Where Your Property Goes When You Die

Financial Stability and Marriage

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Marriage and finances. A match made in hell. Why do these so often go together like oil and water? Why is money such a contentious topic in most households?

It’s because people go through life differently. Depending on how you were raised, what you learned, and what you personally experienced, your money philosophy will be different from that of your spouse.

Before we talk about that, however, I’d like to touch on financial stability and why the growing trend is being financially stable before committing to someone.

Financial Stability

It makes sense from a psychological perspective. Having financial stability makes you appear more mature and that you have your priorities straight. People who see that, probably see someone that’s ready for a commitment.

Additionally, getting married, and marriage in general, can be an expensive endeavor.

Obviously, it depends on the wedding you want, but the average price tag on a wedding nowadays is around $25,000 (source). Add onto that a honeymoon that could take you to another state, if not another country, and you’re spending a lot of money within the first month of being married.

What, historically, follows is a house and kids. Both, though worth every penny and minute, are expensive.

Because everyone has a different experience, and there are so many of them out there, I can’t go into detail about every one of them. Instead, I’ll speak generally about what they are trying to do.

Debt

People are trying to get out of or get a firm grasp on their debt. Whether it’s student loans, credit card debt, or medical bills, nobody wants to go into a committed relationship, let alone marriage, with a significant amount of debt.

Not only does debt hinder you from putting it towards future wants and needs, but when you get married, your debt becomes your spouse’s debt as well. You don’t want to burden them with that.

People want to be financially stable going into a marriage so they can afford the wants that often come with marriage, and they don’t want to be sacked with debt that brings down the family balance sheet.

Credit

Another piece of the financial puzzle that people try improving is their credit score. Your credit score plays a factor in almost every important life event. Where you live, where you work, and what you drive, your score could play a role.

Your financial philosophy is how you view money and how you use it.

Philosophy

Are you a saver or a spender? Do you view credit cards as a tool or a money sucker? When you do spend, do you prefer to buy stuff or experiences? Would you rather invest with the chance to earn more or put those dollars in a savings account for safekeeping?

As I mentioned before, your upbringing, what you’ve learned, and your personal experiences shaped the answers to these questions.

When you commit to a relationship, you’re going to have different answers. The key with any part of marriage, and money is no exception, are compromise and communication. You have to find some middle ground so each individual is getting their needs met, to an extent.

What you have to do is sit down with your significant other, dive deep into each other’s life experiences with regard to money, and what’s important to you, both now and in the future.

Once you have a good understanding of where you’re both coming from and what you want, you can work together to develop a plan, and once you have that plan, you can start executing

Related Reading:

5 Steps Before Tying the Knot

The Psychology of Money

How My Relationship with Money Changed

What Affects Your Credit Score?

My Goals for 2020

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Now that we’ve turned the calendar to another year, another decade, it’s time to figure what goals we would like to set.

Specifically, in this post, I’m going to go over the goals that I’m setting for myself, why I’m setting that goal, and how I’m going to put a system in place to achieve that goal.

What are my goals for 2020?

  • Get out of debt – Bought a house in 2019 and bit off more than I could chew. The divorce also threw a wrench in my financial planning.
  • Save for retirement – I’ve put my savings on hold for the time being due to poor financial decisions that led to the debt, etc.
  • Incorporate a meditation practice – I’ve harped on it and studies show how much it helps. I need to do this.
  • Journal every day – When I remember to journal, those are generally good days. I need to do this consistently.
  • Read every day – Reading can only help me, so why wouldn’t I do it more? I’ll learn something new and it’s shown to provide some meditative benefits.
  • Spend more dedicated time with my son – I’ve found myself over the last month or so having my phone out more than normal. I mean, I’ve had quite a lot going on with work and mentally, but that’s no excuse. He deserves better.
  • Exercise regularly – it’s good for my body and my mind. It’s a must.

Typically, when you’re setting goals, you should be very specific. You’ll notice, that I wasn’t. I get more granular with my goals in the systems section.

My systems

Getting out of debt and saving for retirement we can lump into one system, as they both revolve around finances and me reigning in my spending.

Until April, this will be incredibly challenging, as I am currently paying my mortgage on my house and the rent for my apartment.

So until I get my house rented (I have tenants set to move in, in April), I’m kind of stuck. Once that happens, however, I’ll have the debt repayment pedal down to the floor.

Simultaneously, I’ll contribute $20 per month to my retirement account, just to get in the habit of doing it again. Start small, enforce the habit, then increase the dollar amount.

Meditation

Of my goals, incorporating meditation practice should be relatively easy. I know my preferred style – I’m not one to sit pretzel-legged on a cushion. I lay down on the floor, on my back, which some relaxing music playing.

The hard part is a) making the time for it and b) doing it consistently. To start, I’m going to set my alarm for 5 minutes earlier than normal.

5 minutes might not seem like a lot, but if I wake up 5 minutes earlier, that gives me 5 minutes to meditate. If I do that consistently for the next, say three weeks, those extra 5 minutes won’t seem that, and I can scale it to 10 minutes.

As I noted in last week’s article, when forming a habit, you have to start small and then scale up.

Reading

Reading every day. This is a must-do for me. It’s good for my mind, it’s good for my soul, it’s good for everything. I have a great many books on my list, but they will all fall into a specific genre – finance, philosophy, religion, or biographies.

The first one will help with work. The last three will help with life.

Every day, before bed, I’m going to read for 15 minutes. That’s my starting point. Once I get into the habit, the amount of time I read will increase.

Spending time with my son

Spend more dedicated time with my son. This is an easy one. Just stay off my gosh darn phone.

Keep it in my room or in the kitchen. Not in my pocket, where I can easily access it. Put the ringer on and leave it alone.

If it’s an emergency, someone will call and I will hear it.

This will also eliminate a distraction, so if he goes to bed for the night, I can immediately pick up a book without getting sucked into the social media black hole.

Exercise

Exercising every day. I read recently in a book about the Dalai Lama that exercising your mind is more important than exercising your body, so I’ve put that on the back burner.

I have a pull-up bar in the doorway to my bathroom and I do 5 pull-ups every time I go in, but that’s not enough dedicated, consistent time for exercise.

I think doing it in the morning makes the most sense. I’m too tired in the evenings to exercise. The question is, do I do this before or after meditation?

Probably after, as I need my mind at ease when I meditate.

So instead of waking up 5 minutes earlier, I’ll start by waking up 20 minutes earlier. Dedicated 15 of those minutes to exercise and the remaining 5 for meditation.

Related reading:

A Systematic Approach to Goals

Worthy Goals for You to Set and Crush

How Do You Set Financial Goals?

Different Ways To Think About Money

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Your money philosophy and how you think about your finances make a big difference in the decisions you make.

Whether you’re just starting your financial journey or you’re well into it, it’s a good idea to take a step back and define that philosophy.

Money is a tool

Sure, there are monetary goals you would like to achieve. For example, $1 million nest egg has long been touted as the number you need to hit for a comfortable retirement, but hitting, somewhat, arbitrary numbers aren’t everything.

Money is a tool. If used properly, you really can achieve financial success. Taking the money you’ve saved and putting it to work for you is a very simple, yet effective way to use it.

Another monetary tool is a credit card. Credit cards offer a variety of reward programs, like travel miles, cashback, among others. Additionally, it enables you to build and strengthen your credit report.

It is important, however, that if you are using a credit card, you must do so responsibly. Accumulating credit card debt can really set you back, financially.

Related reading: A Deep Dive Into Credit Cards

Focus on the solution, not the problem

Often times, we focus too much on the issues with our finances. I have too much debt, I have too little saved for retirement, or my expenses are killing my ability to save.

Instead of focusing on the problem, focus on what can be done to fix it.

If you have too much debt, develop a plan to pay it down. If your retirement savings are low, figure out how you can increase your savings rate. Expenses hurting your ability to save, cut your expenses.

“Whatever the problem, be part of the solution. Don’t just sit around raising questions and pointing out obstacles.” Tina Fey

Related reading: How To Cut Spending

Money using emotional bandwidth

It is true that money is relatively important. I say relatively to try and redirect to my first point when I mentioned that money is to be used as a tool.

It affords you food to eat, clothes to wear, and a place to live, among other things. If your basic needs are met and future goals are being worked towards, you have to try and stop worrying that you don’t have enough.

This is extremely challenging to do because we, as a society, are so fixated on money and material items that money can buy. It also doesn’t help that comparing ourselves to others is essentially baked into our DNA.

Believe me, I know that learning to stop worrying is incredibly difficult, but retraining your brain to view your finances differently can be extremely liberating.

Related reading: The Psychology Of Money

Think long-term

To be a successful investor or to be able to financially plan effectively, you have to think long term.

The market is going to have its ups and downs. As an investor, it’s important to ride out those down periods and continue to invest. If you have 15+ years until you need that money, you should be able to recoup your losses.

With regard to saving, I typically take the “bucket” approach. I have three buckets, short-term, medium-term, and long-term. Be advised: the following is how I define these time horizons.

  • The short-term bucket is for items under 5 years away. For example, when I want certain debts paid off or a down payment for a house.
  • Medium-term is anything 5-15 years away. The main one in this category is my son’s college savings.
  • Long-term is retirement savings, exclusively.

Related reading: How To Make Long-Term Investing Decisions

Buying experiences versus buying stuff

Money to a certain extent can buy happiness. As long as it’s being spent on experiences rather than stuff.

Memories with family and friends, visiting different destinations and attractions are the things we’ll cherish most.

Stuff breaks and toys are outgrown. What people won’t forget, however, is the time you spent with them.

Make that a priority. I know, as a fairly new parent (my son is almost 2), that I am constantly aware of how finite time is and that I need to make the most of those moments I spend with him.

The way you think about money pulls weight in how you use it. When creating a financial plan, I would prioritize figuring that out. How you think can lead to how you act.

SAVVI Financial Review: A Free Financial Plan

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SAVVI Financial Review

Human beings are biologically hard-wired to deny what they know to be a reality. Life is hard, so self-denial may be preferable to hard truths. We usually do such things to protect self-perpetuating and preconceived notions. Like, convincing ourselves that eating junk food is fine while never exercising. 

Or, believing that it’s OK not having a full understanding of the state of your personal finances. A lot of Americans are financially illiterate. You can’t get very far in life if you only know how to pay bills and absolutely nothing else about the tenets of personal finance. Most people don’t understand their own spending habits, never save money, never invest, or consider their potential retirement future.

According to a recent study conducted by the TIAA Initiative, only 51% of Americans are financially literate. Financial literacy is the ability to make informed, strategic, and beneficial decisions concerning personal finances. People who are financially literate are more likely to pay their bills and debts on time. Those who are financially literate are about 85% more likely to come up with $2,000 in the event of a financial or medical emergency.

Over 40% of Americans couldn’t come up with $400 if a financial emergency presented itself. Think about that. Could you pay for an unexpected financial emergency right now? Such stark statistics and more are proof-positive of America’s issues with financial literacy. The problem is getting worse because people have pride and are loath to change. Who wants to admit they have no idea how to manage money?

SAVVI Financial – Financial Advice Engine

There is no shame in admitting that sometimes we need help in life to manage our personal finances. In fact, we should seek it out. Otherwise, you can become mired in a financial lifestyle where you can barely pay your bills and are always one job loss away from adversity. I am not preaching, because I used to be the same way. 

Until I began using the SAVVI Financial and its online budgeting and financial advice engine. SAVVI Financial is a financial advice website that helps you to really confront your personal finance shortcomings. Then, the website will help you to create your own personal finance improvement strategies, budgets, and action plans. All you have to do is input your financial statistics. 

Then the reality of your own personal finances will be revealed to you. Do you want to buy a home in 4 years? Or, pay off a child’s tuition bill in under a decade? Maybe your dream is to retire within a decade and begin traveling? Well, none of these goals can really happen if you can barely pay your bills, don’t save money, and are always one paycheck away from the eviction. 

To improve your personal finances, and realize your financial ambitions for the future, you need a realistic self-assessment of your finances, budgets, and realistic strategies to enact action plans. With SAVVI Financial, you can finally put your personal finances within your control. 

My SAVVI Financial Review

The SAVVI Financial website is designed to use your own personal data to create a customized budget and action plan to improve your own particular financial situation. There are no one-size-fits-all plans, budgets, or generalized financial advice. The only way that you can realize your full financial potential is through the strategic analysis of your own data.

SAVVI Financial was founded by a group of data analyst experts who are determined to help people like you take full control of their financial lives. This company was launched by people who are Ph. Ds,  mathematicians, data scientists, and engineers. Most of them were educated and trained at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

On the SAVVI Financial website, you’ll be introduced to questionnaires, algorithms, and advanced computational processing that will crunch your personal finance data for you. The SAVVI team uses their professional, real-world experiences in finance analysis, healthcare statistics analysis, financial portfolio management, quantitative finance, and applied analytics to help you make informed, realistic, and customized life decisions regarding your personal finances. 

The SAVVI Process

Registering on the SAVVI Financial website might sound intimidating or complicated, but it is quite simple. To be very honest, I too have struggled with financial literacy in my life. So, I decided to try SAVVI Financial myself to better explain how it works to you. After all, no one wants to be lectured about their inability to be financially responsible. 

It is better to teach by experience instead of preaching. After I registered on SAVVI Financial, I was presented with a questionnaire. The SAVVI questionnaire is designed to get baseline data about your income, assets, holdings, investments, property, savings, retirement funds, and so on. Inputting as much financial data as possible will help the SAVVI system design customized budgets and action plans just for you.

Also, I was asked to input my income level, bank information, properties, debts, credit card payments, and so on. Inputting such information is voluntary. However, the more information you add, then the better the system will be able to help you. SAVVI’s system will ask you to link your bank account or credit card to get a better idea of your situation. 

After I inputted my personal finance data, which is safe and will never be sold to third parties, SAVVI’s advanced computational processing and analytics algorithm system began to put together an assessment of my financial reality. Again, I should stress, there are no generalized, cut-and-paste budget plans on SAVVI Financial. All budgets and actions plans are tailored to your exact life circumstances.

The system analyzed my own financial reality. Like the fact that I rent instead of own property, the cost of my utility payments, and my insurance premiums. It asked how much money I saved from every check. Or, if I ever saved at all. The system asked about my spending habits, if I had any future financial ambitions, like buying a house, and if I was planning for retirement.

After inputting all of this information, the SAVVI system presented me with a customized budget and action plan. For one thing, the system advised me that I was not saving enough money and that I should consider adding more money to my emergency fund. The SAVVI system also advised me to consider making a large-scale investment, like buying a house. It is very hard to increase wealth by saving money alone, so, investing has to be part of the plan.

Take Control of Your Personal Finances Today With SAVVI

It was difficult to learn that maybe I have more to learn about financial literacy from the SAVVI system. But being an adult requires absorbing hard truths. In fact, before you can start registering on SAVVI Financial, the system will ask you a question: “How confident are you that you’re doing what’s needed to meet your longer-term financial goals?” 

Only you can do what is necessary to improve your current financial reality. If nothing is changing in your life, then perhaps your mindset concerning personal finances needs to change. I highly recommend that you try SAVVI Financial today. It’s free and it only uses your own data to create an action plan that works for you, and only you. 

Confront your true financial reality today. The convenient and comfortable lies we tell ourselves will always be more destructive in the long term than the unpleasant truth we confront today.

This review was paid for by SAVVI Financial but all opinions and viewpoints are my own. 

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Financial Planning For All Ages

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Don’t you hate it when you Google financial planning tips, and it spits out articles that don’t apply to you? This could be because you’re a different age than the article is directed towards or you’re in a different position.

Well, look no further. I’ve created a rough outline of how you can plan, regardless of your age or situation.

But I’ll be honest with you, a lot of this article will link to resources or previous articles that explain these topics in more detail, but I wanted to create a rough outline of how people in different age groups can plan.

Twenties

Ideally, you want to get a budget started, but nobody likes doing that. Instead, give your money a job. Figure out when you would like to have your debt paid off, then do the math to determine how much per month you need to pay.

List that payment plus housing, transportation, food, and other bills. That total tells you how much MUST go out, everything else is extra to do what you please.

In terms of saving for retirement, you have a lot of time to put money away, but if you start sooner, you’ll have to save less later. 10% of your salary is a good goal. If you can’t get there just yet, save what you can, but try to incrementally increase it over time.

Investment allocation here, as well as in your thirties and forties, should primarily be stocks. Not 100%, but definitely the majority of what you own.

Thirties

The financial plan in your thirties is similar to the one in your twenties. Pay down debt and save for retirement. However, at this point, you probably have more assets and you may have some children as well.

With the cost of tuition constantly rising, saving for their future education costs is important. The 529 is the most popular, and probably the best vehicle available to do just that. (Be advised: 529 plans do involve risk so please talk to your financial advisor prior to investing)

With more assets and children, comes more insurance. Make sure your property and belongings are adequately protected. Additionally, if your children depend on your income for support, life insurance and disability insurance are a must!

Fourties

Same story, different decade. Pay down (off) debt, save for retirement, and make sure you have adequate insurance. (Honestly, the save more, pay down debt, and have insurance is a great catch-all financial plan).

At this point, however, your retirement plans should become more detailed and concrete. Through your twenties and thirties, retirement planning essentially was just saving for retirement.

Now you should think about where you live and what you’ll do. You should also calculate if you’re on track and increase your savings if you’re behind.

Fifties

Hopefully, by the end of this decade, your debt will be mostly paid off, you have a good idea of what retirement will look like, and you’ve determined what needs to be done (if anything) for you to hit your target number.

As you age through your fifties, you should start thinking about adjusting your investment allocation. You don’t have as much time to gain back what you lose during a down market.

Reallocating to a 60/40 or 50/50 (stocks/bonds), depending upon your risk appetite, is a good way to reduce your risk and still participate in a bull market.

Sixties

Where you are at this stage in life depends on a few factors. Have you saved enough to live comfortably in retirement? Do you enjoy what you do? Are you healthy? Plans for Social Security?

If you haven’t saved enough, then you’ll probably have to work a little longer so you can save more. If you like what you do, then why not continue if you are able? If you don’t, consider a career change or (if you’ve saved enough) volunteering for a cause that’s meaningful to you.

If you are healthy, I recommend staying active and social as long as you can. Activity and a healthy social life are two of the three important variables for a fulfilling retirement.

Social Security and when to receive it is a huge decision. Obviously, I’m going to recommend waiting as long as you can so you receive a higher monthly benefit, but there are other things to consider.

Are you healthy? What’s your family history like? Do you have adequate savings/retirement income from other sources?

Health and family history help determine longevity. Poor health and/or poor family history may give you a reason to start receiving earlier.

There are calculators out the web (like this one here) that can help you discern what’s the best strategy for you. That’s to say, how do you optimize your Social Security and other retirement income so you receive the most possible?

Seventies

We’re living longer, healthier lives now, and down the road, the retirement age will probably make its way into the seventies.

If you have to work for the income, you’re not alone. As of 2017, the percentage of the population that are 70 or older and still working was 19%. Up from 11% in 1994. (Source)

My recommendation. Develop an income strategy that will a) afford you to live a somewhat comfortable lifestyle (obviously, cutbacks are necessary if money is tight) and b) help your savings last as long as possible.

There are a variety of calculators out there to help figure this out.

Conclusion

Financial planning is tough. As I said in the beginning, not many like to budget, so it’s important to give your money a job. $100 goes towards emergency savings, $1,000 to retirement, and $250 for debt repayment.

Do this, along with several of the other items I listed (as well as the ones linked below) and you’ll do just fine.

Helpful articles and resources:

Choosing A Retirement Plan For Your Business

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What type of retirement plan to use is a big question for employers. Not only do they want to do what’s right for the business, but they also want to do what’s best for their employees and future employees.

In the following article, we’ll break down three of the most popular options for employer-sponsored retirement plans.

What are your options?

If you’re an individual, your options are pretty straight forward. Outside of your employer-based plan, you can either contribute to a Roth IRA or a Traditional IRA.

As a business, however, you have many other options. For organizations that are for-profit and not a government body, you the SEP IRA, SIMPLE IRA, and the 401(k).

More than likely, you’re most familiar with the 401(k). We’ll explore each of these below.

SEP IRA

Stands for Simplified Employee Pension Individual Retirement Account.

This retirement account is typically used with one-man shops or small businesses with a couple of employees.

The reason is the money contributed to the employee’s accounts can only come from the business. Employees are not eligible to contribute to their SEP account.

Here the characteristics of a SEP IRA:

  • Must contribute the same percentage of salary for each employee
  • Don’t need to contribute every year
  • Maximum contribution is $54,000 per year or 25% of annual salary, whichever is less
  • Contributions are deductible as a business expense for the entity
  • Money grows tax-deferred
  • When funds are withdrawn, they are taxed as ordinary income
  • Rules similar to a Traditional IRA
    • Withdrawals prior to 59 ½ unless used for a qualified purpose (qualified meaning exempt from the penalty, which is 10%)
    • Required Minimum Distributions must begin at 70 ½

SIMPLE IRA

Stands for Savings Incentive Match for Employee Individual Retirement Account.

Designed for small businesses, and has an employee limit of 100. If you go over 100 employees, you need to switch to a 401(k).

The SEP and SIMPLE (compared to the 401(k)) are inexpensive to set up and administer, and may be a great option for small businesses that want to offer a plan for their employees, but don’t want to pay the costs associated with a 401(k).

Here are the characteristics of a SIMPLE IRA:

  • Contribution limit of $13,000. A catch-up contribution of $3,000 for those 50 or older
  • Employees can contribute to their own plan (unlike the SEP)
  • Employers match contributions
    • Match up to 3% of employee’s contribution (doesn’t have to contribute if the employee doesn’t contribute).
    • Contribute a flat 2% whether or not the employee contributes.
  • Similar to the last plan, withdrawals before 59 ½ are penalized.
  • Also similar to the last plan, distributions must begin at 70 ½
  • There’s a weird quirk with the Simple, as well. If you withdraw funds earlier than 2 years after your first contribution, you’re penalized 25%.

401(k)

The 401(k). The plan that most people are familiar with, and if you have an employer-sponsored plan, it’s more than likely, this one.

The 401(k) gained popularity as companies switched from defined benefit plans (pensions) to defined contribution, where it became the responsibility of the employee to save for retirement instead of the employer.

Here are the characteristics of the 401(k):

  • Contribution limit is $19,000 with a catch-up of $6,000 for people 50 or older.
  • Total contribution limit, including employer contributions, is $54,000.
  • The 401(k) is an expensive plan to set up and administer, especially when compared to the previous two plans.
  • Like the previous two plans, the 401(k) penalizes you if you withdraw before 59 ½ unless your reason for withdrawal qualifies for an exemption. And you must begin withdrawing funds when you turn 70 ½.
  • With this plan, however, you are able to take a loan out against your savings. This loan has to be paid back, usually in the form of increased monthly contributions.
    • If you are let go from your job while you have a loan on the plan, you will be forced to pay it back with 60 days. If you don’t you’ll be taxed on the amount, and if you’re under 59 ½, you’ll be penalized 10%.
  • This type of plan is designed for larger employers, though there is no maximum or minimum on how many employees you can have.
    • They have a type of 401(k) called the solo 401(k). It has all the same rules and quirks as the standard 401(k), but it’s designed for someone who works by themselves OR their only employee is a spouse.

How to choose

Unfortunately, I can’t say which plan is the best. Each one has its own unique advantages and disadvantages.

When deciding which plan is best for you and your business, there are a few things I would take into consideration.

  1. Number of employees – some plans disqualify you if you have too many employees.
  2. Matching ability – Most 401(k) plans match up to 6%. The SIMPLE requires you to match up to 3% or contribute a flat 2% for every employee.
  3. Cost – Some plans are less expensive to set up and service than others. In terms of the 401(k), the more participants and assets you have in the plan, the less expensive (per user) it becomes.
  4. Attracting talent – More and more employers are using benefits packages to attract employees rather than salary, in what’s called all-in compensation. If you want to get qualified candidates in the door, you have to offer good benefits.

Conclusion

It should be known that whatever you decide, it’s not set in stone. If you set up a SIMPLE and you need to hire more employees than you anticipated, you can set up a 401(k). The SIMPLE will have to stay in place, and you’d just have current and new employees contribute to the 401(k).

For more information on all of these plans and others, read this article here.

Be advised: The numbers and figures listed in this article are for 2019. Contribution limits tend to change over time. Please review the IRS website for up to date information.

Why I Love The Roth IRA

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The Roth IRA started in 1997 and it changed the retirement savings game.

It’s probably my most recommended retirement savings vehicle, other than your employer-sponsored plan of course. You have to get that match!

The Roth IRA can be your primary retirement account or a nice complement to a work-based plan.

Here’s why I love the Roth IRA.

Tax-free withdrawals! That’s right, if you save for retirement using the Roth IRA, you get to take that tax-deferred (don’t pay taxes while money grows) savings out of your account without paying taxes.

While you’re working, you generally have two options (besides contributing to your 401k or Simple IRA) do I contribute to a Roth IRA or a Traditional IRA? The amount of money you make plays a little bit of a factor, as the Roth IRA has an income limit ($137,000 – single, $203,000 – married filing jointly).

However, a back-door contribution is available. That’s where you make a contribution to a traditional IRA and roll the money from there into a Roth IRA. Be advised: You’ll be taxed at the time of the rollover.

That aside, contributions to a traditional IRA are tax-deductible (an income limit applies here). Conversely, contributions to a Roth IRA are not tax deductible.

Here’s why I like to recommend the Roth. I’d save for retirement, without getting that tax-deduction and pay $0 taxes upon withdrawal in retirement. At that point in time, your ability to earn more money is either dramatically reduced or gone completely.

It’s at this point when you need that money the most. I’d rather pay for it now and benefit from it later.

With all that said, I suppose I should list all the characteristics of a Roth IRA.

  • For 2019, the contribution limit is $6,000. If you are 50 or older, you can contribute an extra $1,000. Be advised: these contributions limits change often. Consult the IRS website for up to date information.
  • Because the money in the account was already taxed, there are no mandatory withdrawals. Uncle Sam got his cut already so you can let that baby grow for as long as you want.
  • If you withdraw before 59 1/2, you’ll pay a 10% tax penalty
  • There are exceptions to this penalty, however.
    • Death
    • Disability
    • Use up to 10% on your first home purchase
    • Pay for higher education
    • Medical costs are more than 7.5% of your AGI
    • Can pay health insurance premiums if you’re unemployed
    • The IRS has a tax levy against you
  • You can make contributions for the prior “tax” year up to April 15th.
  • If you withdraw your savings within 5 years of your first contribution, you’ll pay some taxes on your withdrawal.
    • Note: The 5-year clock starts ticking on January 1st of the year you made your first contribution

Conclusion

As I said, the Roth IRA is a great savings vehicle. Whether you use it on its own or use it as a complement to an employer-sponsored plan, it has a place in everybody’s retirement plan.

One last thing I want to mention. My reasoning behind why I recommend the Roth IRA so often is my personal belief. Please use your situation and your money/retirement philosophy when making this decision. It also pays to talk to a professional to see what they’re thoughts are, as well.