Retirement in Sight- November 2018
MONTHLY NEWS AND INFORMATION FOR CURRENT AND FUTURE RETIREES
PRESENTED BY MERIDIAN - NOVEMBER 2018
QUOTE OF THE MONTH
“Live life to the fullest.”
ERNEST HEMINGWAY
RETIREMENT PLANNING CONTINUES AFTER YOU RETIRE
It can be easy to think of retirement planning as a means to an end: a series of purposeful meetings leading up to a life transition. This transition is not the end of retirement planning. Think of this transition (and the steps preceding it) as the first phase. The second phase focuses on managing your spending, plus enhancing your income and savings.
It may be useful to plan your spending with the “bucket” approach. In this strategy, you withdraw assets from three “buckets” to spend on present-day, near-term, and future needs. The present-day (or short-term) bucket is a bucket of cash, typically from bank accounts or short-duration, fixed-income investments, that complement Social Security and other income sources. This bucket is a liquid resource you can tap for emergency expenses as well as everyday needs. Your second bucket is your near-term bucket, a portion of your retirement savings invested for a mix of growth and income. This bucket could help you finance your vacations, remodel your home, redo your yard or fulfill a dream that emerges during your “second act.” Your third bucket, a portion of your retirement fund invested mostly with an eye toward long-range growth, can be used to address health care costs (including long-term care expenses). All the while, tweaks can be made to your retirement plan in pursuit of tax efficiency and improved income streams (one may lead to the other). According to Bankrate, 61% of Americans have no idea how much money they will need to save for retirement, and very few have probably considered how they will spend the savings they have once away from work. So the first phase of retirement planning is designed to provide one kind of clarity; the second phase, another. [1]
TRAVEL TIP
Going abroad? Bring medications and supplements in original packaging.
In other countries, you may end up getting generics rather than brand names, and supplements and vitamins may come in different forms than you expect. Ask your physician for the exact generic names of the drugs you take.
THE MAY-DECEMBER RETIREMENT CHALLENGE
When one spouse or partner is considerably older than the other, retirement may unfold differently for that couple than it does for others. Most importantly, the younger spouse or partner must realize how self-reliant he or she may need to be decades from now.
If you are a Gen Xer married to or partnered with a Baby Boomer, the prime challenge may be making your wealth last until your eighties or nineties. Your spouse or partner may have a more significant amount of wealth and retirement savings than you do, but future long-term care or hospital expenses may reduce it to an extent you cannot anticipate. Consider also that you might need to retire earlier than you think, to care or be with your spouse or partner if he or she becomes physically or mentally frail. If you can work well into your sixties, this can be a plus, as you can maintain your income and keep up your retirement savings effort. If you are in your early sixties and your partner or spouse is in his or her eighties and is in need of eldercare, having at least one income can help if your home needs upkeep or if you need to downsize. If you intend to retire together, your loved one may be eligible for Medicare, but you may be without any health insurance for some time (and the average annual premium for individual private health coverage was $6,896 this year, by the estimate of the National Conference of State Legislatures). These matters all deserve consideration before a retirement decision is made. [2]
DID YOU KNOW?
Sometimes the red planet gets a blanket of white.
Snow occasionally falls on parts of Mars. The snow is a bit different than that we know on Earth, however: it is not comprised of water, but carbon dioxide. As a result, there are no snowflakes during a Mars snowfall, only a kind of fog. [3]
ON THE BRIGHT SIDE
At the end of the third quarter of 2018, the average IRA balance was $111,000. That was more than double the average balance of $52,000 in 2008, according to Fidelity Investments. [4]
BRAIN TEASER
What belongs to you, but is used more by others?
Advisory services offered through Meridian Wealth Management LLC, a Registered Investment Advisor.
This material was prepared by MarketingPro, Inc., and does not necessarily represent the views of the presenting party, nor their affiliates. This information has been derived from sources believed to be accurate. The publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting or other professional services. If assistance is needed, the reader is advised to engage the services of a competent professional. This information should not be construed as investment, tax or legal advice and may not be relied on for the purpose of avoiding any Federal tax penalty.
CITATIONS.
1 - investopedia.com/retirement/retirement-planning-doesnt-stop-when-you-retire/ [11/12/18]
2 - washingtonpost.com/business/2018/10/29/retiring-with-big-age-gap-these-couples-share-joys-challenges/ [10/29/18]
3 - mentalfloss.com/life-on-mars-facts [11/12/18]
4 - plansponsor.com/years-positive-retirement-savings-behaviors-lead-record-balances/ [11/5/18]