Displaying items by tag: social security

Inflation is a concern for retirees, but they should be more concerned than ever becauseSocial Security is tracking the wrong index. Currently Social Security bases its cost of living adjustments on the consumer price index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W). However, the CPI-W doesn’t fully account for the costs of healthcare and housing that burden retirees more than other groups. Instead social security should track the Consumer Price Index for Elderly (CPI-E) because this is the demographic they are targeting. Research shows that the average social security account since 1983 is in a 0.2% compounded deficit. The rate of inflation for healthcare is slowing which could end up benefiting retirees moving forward but that's just a prediction.

FINSUM: Social security won’t be keeping up with your healthcare costs and investors should augment their portfolios to compensate.

Retirement is a rising concern for many Americans, and that concern is only amplifying with one of the largest retirement populations—social security—being funded by a much smaller cohort of funders. About half of the population is concerned they will out-live their savings, and that’s justified given average life expectancy is almost 20 years longer than retirement. However, the 2019 Secure Act is opening new doors in retirement investing, annuities, by relieving employers legal liability for annuities. Rather than the typical safe assets like bonds that slowly integrate into the portfolio as one nears retirement, companies like BlackRock will also fund annuities. They aim to allocate 10% of your funds by the age 55 and take that share to nearly 1/3rd by retirement age. These annuities typically come with a fixed rate of return on the principle and these integrated 401k plans will become available starting in 2022.

FINSUM: Annuities can definitely bridge the gap for those skeptical that social security will fill their cup, but they still come with plenty of risk despite the ‘guaranteed’ income many might expect.

(New York)

Retirement takes a lot of planning, which every financial advisor knows intimately. Yet, retirees themselves often forget some of the big things that can derail their financial plans. Accordingly, here is a list of several important high expense items that retirees forget to account for. Firstly, one-time big ticket things, like new furnaces, air conditioning units, repainting the house etc. This big expenses can catch retirees off-guard. Relatives in need are often another big commitment that retirees don’t see coming. Additionally, many don’t realize that as their Social Security distributions rise, they can be moved into a higher tax bracket and may also see their Medicare premiums rise.

FINSUM: This is a just a good reminder piece of some of the pitfalls of retirement.

(New York)

Retirement income is such an important aspect of a financial advisor’s job, that one could reasonably argue it is the main duty of the profession. With that in mind, here are a couple ways to create lasting retirement income for clients. The first tip is simple, and every advisor should know it—delay claiming Social Security until 70, which significantly boosts annual income. Social Security is uniquely built to help protect against many of the risks of retirement, with one specialist saying “It’s indexed for inflation, it protects against longevity risk, and if the stock market crashes, it doesn’t go down”. The second part of this two-part strategy is to invest like one is still young. Since once is more hedged by greater Social Security income, one can afford to be more aggressive in markets.

FINSUM: This is a good basic strategy, though it requires working longer and a good degree of self-control.