Top 10 Tips To Consider For Your Retirement Plan

Nothing beats a solid retirement plan. Making the necessary plans for the same is, however, the hard part. Nonetheless, who is better to ask for such advice than those already in retirement. Yankelovich (a consumer research company) and Nationwide surveyed retirees to find out how they managed to save for their retirement and firsthand advice. Outlined below are the top tips to consider for your retirement planning.

1. Monitor Your Pre-Retirement Investments

Your retirement plan should comfortably cover you for at least 5 years into retirement. This amount is also the most vulnerable, with most individuals spending it on other things. Overspending the money will only make it harder to recover too. That said, it would be advisable to look into your pre-retirement investments and how much you’ll have generated within that time.

2. Take inflation into account

The rising cost of living and inflation can easily take up much of your saving’s purchasing power at retirement. You thus want to plan for inflammation, assuming prices will have gone up by the time you are retired.

3. Talk About Retirement Spending With Your Significant Other

Discuss your retirement plans with your spouse just as you would when looking to buy a house or new car. The both of you ought to be on the same page, especially when it comes to how you will spend your golden days together. Be sure to iron everything out with them before making any major move.

4. Prioritize Your Physical Health

Your physical and psychological fitness now will have a significant impact on how healthy you will be in your retirement years. Taking the cost of healthcare today, you want to be sure you will be covered even after retiring. The key is to stay as physically and emotionally fit as possible.

5. Set A Budget For The Retirement Plan

Many people hardly ever put a number on the amount they wish to have or save for their retirement plan. You could start by calculating how much your annual spending is, then go from there. However, talking to a financial advisor will provide more insight into what should be considered when budgeting your retirement plan.

6. Talk To An Investment Professional

Consider talking to an investment professional for advice on the best way to plan for your retirement. You also need to book an appointment with your doctor to check on your health. The doctor will also advise you on the best way to stay healthy into your golden years. You might also want to talk to friends and colleagues for help finding a good investment professional.

7. Be Smart On Your Travel Expenses And Plans

The best time to tour the world is when you are young and energetic. While you can still go on a safari soon after retirement, you want to avoid anything that might be too costly. It would also be wise to limit spending on unnecessary items while travelling.

8. Pay Your Mortgage Off

Your mortgage is probably one of the biggest expenses you have. Looking for ways to pay it off on time can give you some peace of mind and make it easier to contribute more towards your retirement plan.

9. Work For A Few More Years

Working for 2 or 3 years more than you had planned originally can see your retirement budget grow quite significantly.  It is better to work for a few more years and save enough than retire early and not have enough money in your retirement.

10. Plan For Unexpected Expenses

You can’t really be sure of what will happen in the future. For this reason, you want to plan for unplanned expenses in the future. This can be anything from house maintenance costs or a rise in property taxes. Budgeting for such will help provide some cushioning should the worst happen.

27 Jul 2021
SG Expats