The Answers To Your Retirement Questions

As a pre-retiree in your 50s, you may be facing some challenging financial choices and some of them may be the most important ones you make in your lifetime. Here we’re diving into some of the most common situations you may be looking at and providing retirement planning solutions.

If you’re late to the game in terms of saving, you can still make a huge difference in your overall portfolio thanks to the catch-up provision. This IRS rule lets anyone who is 50 and above to contribute an extra $6K to their 401(k) plan, where everyone else is capped at $18K for 2015. This higher limit can really help you grow your money.

Many people are dipping into their retirement accounts; 1 in 5 are taking loans from their 401(k)s. If you leave your job before you finish paying it back, you have to finish within a certain period of time or you are forced to take a distribution that not only raises your taxable income but is taxed more as well.

3 out of 4 people are claiming Social Security at 62, but this leaves a lot of money on the table, especially as people are living longer. Every year you delay filing, your benefit grows by 6.5-8%, depending on your age. 

If you claim Social Security at 62 for a $750 monthly payout, over your lifetime your benefit will be worth $297K. Waiting until 70 and living to be 95, your benefit jumps up to $1,320 per month or $396,100 over the course of your lifetime. 

There are other misconceptions about Social Security too when it comes to eligibility.

For example, it can serve as a resource for people younger than 62. If a 51-year-old couple has a 14-year-old son still living with them and his father were to pass away suddenly, his mother would be entitled to SS. Unfortunately, many people fail to claim their benefits because they’re unaware they’re eligible.

Long-term care insurance is worth the price. The average cost is $2,500 per year, but most of us will need LTC late in life and the optimal time to buy is in good health between 50 and 64.

Perhaps the most challenging financial situation pre-retirees in their 50s face is underestimating how expensive retirement really is. Figuring out how much you need to save and how to invest those savings to build financial security for the rest of your life is vitally important, and those who sit down and do the math end up saving a third more than those that don’t plan ahead.

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Planning for retirement is not an easy thing to do. There are a lot of unknown variables and a lot of decisions to be made. If you are interested in learning more about your options for retirement planning and you live in the Everett, WA area, then contact a local Everett retirement planner or local financial planner.`