A New Era, A New Definition for Debt

Approaching retirement can sometimes be as overwhelming and nerve-wracking as the transition into your Golden Years. You may start reflecting on what you’ve accomplished thus far in life and what you envision still achieving.

As you near the finish line, here are four things to do in the last ten years of your career.

Create a List of Things You Want to Accomplish in Retirement

The first step is understanding your goals for your retirement. What lifestyle do you envision maintaining? Will you travel? Will you live in the same home? What will you do during the day? As much as you may enjoy golf, you may tire of doing it every day for weeks on end.

Creating a list of retirement goals gives you something to look forward to, and may even motivate you to save more aggressively to reach your retirement goals faster. For example, if you imagine enjoying plenty of family vacations in retirement, you may need to establish a vacation fund.

You may instead envision spending your time volunteering or enjoying hobbies, be it woodworking, gardening, or painting. Regardless of how you choose to spend your time, make plans for it. If you don’t, other family members may be planning out your time for you. For example, you may become the default caretaker for your aging parents, especially if your other siblings are still working. Or you may become the “full time” babysitter for your grandchildren because your children assume you aren’t doing anything all day.

Pay Off Debt

The less debt you have when you enter retirement, the better. Review all current debts you face and compare interest rates and balances. This can help you decide which to pay off first. Once you’ve eliminated credit card and auto debt, see how you can aggressively pay off your mortgage. Not having a mortgage could significantly reduce your monthly expenses and make a considerable impact on how quickly you deplete your savings.

Along with tackling debt, take care of the big-ticket items now, rather than delaying them. These include replacing your home’s roof or other expensive repairs, updating old appliances, addressing your long-term care needs, and keeping your car in good working shape. It’s ideal to do this now while you still have a paycheck rather than when you’re retired and trying to live off of your savings.

Plan Out Your Expenses and Create a Budget

A common question pre-retirees ask is, “will my income sources cover my needs in retirement?” A budget is helpful throughout life but can be particularly beneficial during retirement when your income may be more limited.

Start by creating a budget that includes your essential expenses (housing, healthcare, and food) and your discretionary expenses (such as traveling, entertainment, and dining out). With this list, match essential expenses with guaranteed income, such as setting aside your Social Security benefits to pay for your healthcare. Then, look at your other savings and income to cover your discretionary expenses.

If your projected expenses don’t match your income and savings, you’ll either need to reconsider your expenses or increase your retirement income. These 10 years leading up to retirement can serve as a “trial run” to help instill a higher level of confidence that you can live off a certain level of income once you retire.

Hire a Financial Advisor

How much should you contribute to your 401(k)? What types of investments make the most sense for your circumstances and goals? Often, it’s not until we face a significant decision or make a mistake when we realize that we weren’t equipped with the proper knowledge. And then it may be too late to find help or rectify any missteps we make.

A financial advisor isn’t just there to hand you a financial plan and set you on your way. Think of an advisor as your lifelong financial partner. He or she can provide education, objective advice, and ongoing guidance as you encounter new challenges and opportunities.  This could mean adjusting your strategies, or simply reassuring you of your progress. With education and a reliable partner available to answer your questions, you can feel empowered to make informed decisions.

Next Steps

You don’t have to go at it alone and plan for your retirement on your own. At this point in your life, you should work with an advisor who can help you create a personalized retirement roadmap and work through various retirement scenarios, not just help your money grow. As an independent financial advisor, I want to help you address your retirement questions and feel confident about your future. I can work with you to establish a retirement strategy that integrates your goals and needs. Take the first step by reaching out to me for a complimentary consultation. Call my office at (949) 221-8105 x 2128, or email me at michael.loo@trilogyfs.com.

If you're one of the millions of Americans who received, or are expecting to receive, a tax refund, you are probably trying to decide how to spend it. The average refund this year is around $3,000, a nice chunk of change to throw at one of your goals. Rather than impulse buying that new Apple iWatch or splurging at Sephora, make the best use of this windfall by putting it towards improving your financial situation.

Build Up An Emergency Fund

Some very good friends of mine woke up recently to find that their downstairs had flooded from a burst pipe on the second level. They had to rip up their hard wood floors, replace furniture, and even replace some of the walls. Luckily, their bedroom and their child's nursery was spared, but THIS type of unexpected event is exactly why you need an emergency fund. If they didn't have cash readily available in a savings account, they might have been tempted to put charges for repairs and replacements on a high-interest credit card. Depending on your situation, you should ideally have 3-6 months of regular expenses in the bank. Use your tax refund to start, or top off, your rainy day fund.

Pay Off Debt

The power of compounding interest can work in your favor when investing, but it can also cause debt to grow faster than you might think. Credit card companies apply their interest fees to the amount that you owe initially. But every month (and sometimes every DAY!) after that, the compounding interest will apply to the principal, as well as the previous month's interest. If you want to apply the snowball method, apply your refund to the smallest account you can close out. Alternatively, you can use the “Avalanche” method, and put your refund towards the card with the highest interest rate. Paying off the smallest account might feel good, but if you have double digit interest accruing on a card, get that debt paid off as fast as you can. Take the windfall from your refund and put it towards cleaning up your personal balance sheet.

Fund an Individual Retirement Account

IRAs are one of the greatest savings vehicles you can have for retirement. These vehicles allow you to invest in the market outside of any employer-sponsored plans (like a 401K) with tax-free growth (no capital gains!) until retirement. There are two types of IRAs that are available to the general public: Roth IRAs and Traditional IRAs. With a Roth, you contribute post-tax dollars and don't have to pay income taxes on any distributions in retirement. There is, however, a phase-out limit based on income. With a traditional IRA, you do pay income taxes on distributions in retirement. However, contributions made could be tax-deductible for that tax year (contributions made from January 1st of the current year through April 15th of the following year). As of now, individuals can contribute up to $5,500 per year ($6,500 if you’re age 50 or older), or your taxable compensation for the year, if your compensation was less than this dollar limit.

Monetize Other Financial Goals

Planning to take a big family vacation to Disneyland in 5 years? Dreaming of owning a house but need to build up a sizable down payment? Wondering how you are going to pay for your pre-teen's college tuition? If you have any intermediate goals (prior to retirement), consider opening a brokerage account to help your money grow more efficiently. Statistically, the stock market has more up years than down, and historically, has recovered from those down years relatively quickly. If you have time on you side, consider monetizing these goals by participating in the market at a level that is in line with your risk tolerance.

But If You Must, Splurge…A Little

If you just can't help it, take a small percentage of your refund to treat yourself. Whether it's a nice dinner, a manicure, or checking out a movie with your spouse, take a minute to blow off some steam. Keep this amount small though as the path to wealth is paved with good decisions. Start making good habits today to delay gratification and secure a financial safety net in your future.