Lifestyle 

How to Prepare for Retirement

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Are You Prepared?

retired coupleRetirement is bound to happen someday, whether you’re looking towards it with anticipation or with trepidation. If you take a look at retirement ages across the globe, most people will have to stop working by the time they’re 65. This doesn’t mean that you’ll have to settle down in a rocking chair and wait for the Grim Reaper by the time you’ve reached that magic number – many people continue to live productive and active lives even after easing into retirement. You will however, have to be ready for major changes in your life, whether it’s on a day-to-day level or from a more long-term perspective.

Many people who have already retired find that there are some things that they ought to have done to prepare for retirement. One of these is to have made the choice to retire later. Early retirement allows you to enjoy your money and your leisure time before aging gets the better of you, but it also means that you’ll have to make less money last longer. Waiting to retire will allow you to get the most out of your retirement benefits. It also helps to understand how you’ll be funding your retirement. This includes gaining a working knowledge of 401(k) plan payment options.

Understanding how you’ll be keeping body and soul together during retirement cannot be overemphasized. That’s why financial planning is an integral part of preparing for retirement. You should create a budget that accommodates a standard inflation rate of about 3%. When doing this, remember that you’re not planning for the next ten years or even the next fifteen. You might be in retirement for up to twenty or twenty-five years, thanks to the advances made by modern medicine. This budget should factor in anticipated income and expenses. Besides the payments from your pension, you can plan on having another source of income, such as an investment portfolio or a business. Remember though that unless you’re planning to get employment after you retire, such additional sources of income can become liabilities too. Expenses may also increase as you get older. For instance, in your later years, you might have to spend more on health care.

When putting together your retirement plan, you should also make it a point to understand tax rules and be clear about any benefits you will receive. If all this seems overwhelming, many employers are usually happy to offer guidance. If this isn’t true of yours, it’s possible to seek reliable professional help from a financial adviser.

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