Downs Law Firm, P.C.

Retirement

Retirement

Deadly Sins Can Weaken Your Retirement Plans

Many have faced these sins, so it might be a good idea to check them out before they can surface. As the year draws to an end, here are a few thoughts on planning for your eventual transition to retirement. You may have every intention in the world of planning and financing your retirement. However, it is possible that you will run up against some of the common deadly sins that have been known to block other people from reaching their goals, according to The Reader’s Digest in “The 7 Deadly Sins of Retirement Planning.” Look at these and see if you recognize any potential problems that could be your stumbling block. Pride. Sometimes we think retirement planning should be simple, and when it gets complicated, our knee-jerk reaction is to be prideful and refuse to allow anyone to help us. If you’re not a professional retirement planner, how will you know what to watch out for? You won’t. A mistake could make the difference between a heavenly retirement and one that is delayed or never arrives. Swallow that pride about the difficulties of building a portfolio or investment strategy and be open to getting help. Envy. If you spend 30 years trying to keep up with the Jones’ extravagant spending, who knows if you’ll ever be able to retire? Just because a neighbor, friend or relative spends on new luxury cars, or sends their kids to pricey private schools, doesn’t mean you need to do that, unless you can afford to—all while saving for retirement. Live below your means and save for the future. Wrath. This is a dangerous emotion. If you’re angry about a situation at work, for instance, and you leave without good financial planning, you could put your retirement savings at risk. It often takes longer than you think to find a new job. Leaving voluntarily makes you ineligible for unemployment benefits. Paying for COBRA insurance is usually a lot more expensive than an employee group benefit plan. Hate your job/boss/co-workers? Wait until you have a new job lined up before leaving. Greed. Chasing investment trends or listening to your brother-in-law’s latest get-rich quick scheme rarely leads to success. A professional advisor with a long-term plan will almost always yield a better return. Sloth. Lazy about retirement planning? You have to do the planning, the savings, track your expenses and keep an eye on your money and your taxes. Have you made the effort to have a will, power of attorney and health care directive made for you and your spouse with an estate planning attorney? A missed step could doom your retirement and create a crisis for your family. Gluttony. This is kind of like greed’s younger, sloppier cousin. Are you being greedy about making money, to the detriment of any other goals? A goal-oriented investment plan will serve you better. Lust. Are you yearning for a billionaire’s lifestyle, with an income that is more middle class? Leave the lust for the jets, diamonds and

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Planning for Change

Don’t Loss Your Purpose in Your Retirement

Think ahead about what you are going to enjoy during the retirement years. Don’t lose you purpose in your retirement.We work with many clients who are about to make the dramatic life altering change or retiring. Many people are very good at planning for the parts of retirement. However, they sometimes forget to include the change of lifestyle that comes without a work schedule, according to Next Avenue in “How to Keep Retirement From Being A Drag.” Most people plan for the financial and legal aspects of retirement: how much they need to save, how much of a bite inflation will take, the cost of healthcare, long-term healthcare, etc. But, what about fun? Work is where many people get their sense of purpose and their identity. Talk to any working parent who steps out of their career trajectory for a few years. It’s a similar shift, except there is no smiling cooing baby to keep you busy. If you don’t have projects, meetings, or deadlines, or the community of the workplace, what defines you? This sense of being adrift occurs to people regardless of their income level and may be even more intense for successful people who are used to running a business, commandeering a company or managing a busy desk. Here are some suggestions for making sure your life during retirement is enjoyable and has purpose and meaning. Set your alarm and have a reason to get up every day. After you’ve taken the big trip, spent time with your grandchildren and organized your closets, what’s next? It’s time for you now, time to do things that you’ve always wanted to but for reasons of time, could not. That might mean taking up a sport, expanding a hobby, becoming an active volunteer or returning to school to explore a subject you love? Consider yourself to be on a fixed salary. The transition from paycheck to drawing down savings can be unnerving. You’re sitting on a huge pile of money—but it must last two or even three decades. Create a post-retirement budget before you retire and don’t forget to include healthcare, taxes and potential emergencies. Also consider which assets to draw from and in what order. Do you use your 401(k) funds first, or start with cash? Avoid this retirement rookie mistake: taking out too much cash in the initial stage of retirement. Talk with your partner and family. Will you both retire at the same time? If one is still working and the other is not, how will you divide up chores? If your work schedules meant you didn’t see each other for more than a few minutes during the week, spending 24/7 together is a big change. Do you expect to spend all your time together, or will there be some “me” time? Will your children expect you to babysit on a regular basis? An estate planning attorney can advise you on creating an estate plan that fits your unique circumstances, including your retirement years. Reference: Next Avenue (Nov.

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