Retirement Planning

Retirement planning involves evaluating your current financial standing and creating an accumulation strategy that will help to ensure a desired retirement lifestyle. Because an individual’s retirement years can span decades, retirement planning generally dominates other financial goals. A successful plan put into place during the wealth-building lifespan should address ways to maximize growth and tax-efficient distributions, as well as how to leave retirement assets to the next generation.

MANAGE RISKS DURING RETIREMENT

Losing your investment capital
With a well-diversified portfolio, market fluctuations aren’t a major concern during your income-earning years. But if the market suffers a serious loss just before retirement, you could be left with a smaller nest egg to draw from in your golden years. That’s why it’s important that you and your financial advisor work with a retirement specialist to protect your savings.

As your primary goal shifts from building assets to generating income, you’ll want to update your investment strategy accordingly. Assuming your plan is well-suited to you, drastic changes won’t be necessary. Your appetite for risk will likely lessen, and you’ll want a greater proportion of your portfolio in low-risk or guaranteed investments.

Outliving your money
One of the biggest risks to hedge against is that you’ll outlive your assets. People are living longer, healthier lives and you want to make sure your money lasts as long as you do.

Inflation Risk
Maintain your standard of living over time in tomorrow’s dollars, as the purchasing power of your dollar decreases. Given that your retirement could last 30 years or more, inflation can really affect your lifestyle.

Spending Risk
While there’s no definite answer, most financial planners estimate you’ll need about 60% to 70% of your pre-retirement income to maintain the same standard of living in retirement.