Retirement Planning
As you approach retirement, there are many factors to consider. Experts advise that you will need about 80 percent of your pre-retirement income in your retirement years. The exact amount depends on your individual needs. If you have a financial advisor, talk to him or her about your plans. Here are some questions to ask yourself:
- At what age do you plan to retire?
- Will your spouse or partner retire when you do?
- Where do you plan to live? Will you downsize, own, or rent your home?
- Do you expect to work part-time?
- Will you have the same medical insurance you had while working? Will coverage change?
- Do you want to travel or pursue a new hobby that might be costly?
In addition to planning to maintain your lifestyle during retirement, you may need to purchase long-term health insurance or pay for assisted-living services. Take advantage of interactive tools and calculators that can help you plan your retirement. For example, at Link opens in a new windowhttps://www.consumerfinance.gov/consumer-tools/retirement/before-you-claim, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau offers a calculator to help you see how your Social Security retirement benefits will change based on factors like your age, life expectancy, or marital status. Also, use estimators, like the ones at Link opens in a new windowhttps://www.choosetosave.org/ballpark, to learn how much you need to save to retire comfortably.
For more information go to the following websites:
- AARP (Link opens in a new windowhttps://www.aarp.org)
- American Savings Education Council (Link opens in a new windowhttps://www.choosetosave.org/asec/index8bef.html)
- Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards (Link opens in a new windowhttps://www.cfp.net)
- Investopedia (Link opens in a new windowhttps://www.investopedia.com/terms/r/retirement.asp)
- U.S. Department of Labor (Link opens in a new windowhttps://www.dol.gov/agencies/ebsa)
- The Investor's Clearinghouse (Link opens in a new windowwww.investoreducation.org)
- MyMoney.gov (Link opens in a new windowhttps://www.mymoney.gov)
- MyRA.gov (Link opens in a new windowhttps://myra.gov)
- Securities and Exchange Commission (Link opens in a new windowhttps://www.sec.gov or Link opens in a new windowhttps://www.investor.gov)
- Social Security Administration (Link opens in a new windowhttps://www.ssa.gov)
U.S. General Services Administration (GSA). (2017, April). Retirement planning. In Consumer action handbook (p. 38). Retrieved January 16, 2020, from https://www.usa.gov