You’re Ready to Retire – But Are Your Finances?

Many people feel ready to retire, but fewer are financially ready to do so. It’s one thing to feel you’ve accomplished enough in your career or even that you’ve saved enough, but it’s another to have a plan in place that covers everything important. If you’re ready to retire, consider your finances.

Have a Plan, Not Just a Portfolio

Now that you’ve accumulated wealth, the question becomes how you’ll use it to fund your retirement. As we’ve seen, the market is unpredictable. It’s one thing to have a bunch of investments, but it’s another thing to have a retirement investment strategy and a plan for making those savings last for the rest of your life. Consider what would happen if we saw a major market correction or if you lived for 30 or more years in retirement. Would you be worried about running out of money? A plan can help you address that worry in a way a portfolio can’t.

Consider How Much You Could Spend on Healthcare

Inflation could mean higher prescription and medical supply prices in the short term, and health care costs typically outpace inflation over the long term, regardless of market conditions.[1] This means healthcare costs can be a major retirement expense to include in your budget. So, how much could you end up paying? Well, according to a model Vanguard developed with Mercer Health, even with Medicare, average health care costs can reach over $5,000 per year.[2]

If you’re retiring before age 65, the age at which you become eligible for Medicare, consider how you’ll pay for insurance. If you’re 65 or older, know all of your options for Medicare and how much they cost. For example, there are many different ways to pay for extra coverage in addition to Original Medicare Parts A & B, including Medicare Advantage Plans and Medigap.

Don’t Forget About Your Estate Plan

Those who die without a will have their estate go through probate. This means that a probate court decides how to distribute your property. If you would rather manage those decisions rather than hand them over to a stranger, then consider creating an estate plan. In addition to a will or a trust, you can name a beneficiary on your retirement account. If you made a designation many years ago that you would like to change, you could change it to better reflect your current wishes.