Direct a bit of your pay into an emergency fund. Just a little cash per paycheck. Gradually build a cash savings account that can come in handy in a pinch.

 Speaking of emergencies, remember health insurance. Without health coverage, an accident, injury, or illness represents a financial problem as well as a physical one. Insurance is your way of managing that financial risk. A grace period does come into play here. If your employer does not sponsor a health plan, remember that you can stay on the health insurance policy of your parents until age 26. (In some states, insurers will let you do that until age 29 or 31.) If you are in good health, a bronze or silver plan may be a good option.1,2

 Set a schedule for paying off your college debt. Work toward a deadline: tell yourself you want to be rid of that debt in ten years, seven years, or whatever seems reasonable. Devote some money to paying down that debt every month, and when you get a raise or promotion, devote a bit more. Alternately, if you have a federal college loan balance that seems too much to handle, see if you qualify for an income-driven or graduated repayment plan. Either option may make your monthly payment more manageable.3

 Watch credit card balances. Use credit when you must, not on impulse. A credit card purchase can make you feel as if you are buying something for free, but you are actually paying through the teeth for the convenience of buying what you want with plastic. As Bankrate.com notes, the average credit card now carries a 16.8% interest rate.4

Invest. Even a small retirement plan or IRA contribution has the potential to snowball into something larger thanks to compound interest. At an 8% annual return, even a one-time, $200 investment will grow to $2,013 in 30 years. Direct $250 per month into an account yielding 8% annually for 30 years, and you have $342,365 three decades from now. That alone will not be enough to retire on, but the point is that you must start early and seek to build wealth through one or more tax-advantaged retirement savings accounts.5

 Ask for what you are worth. Negotiation may not feel like a smart move when you have just started your first job, but two years in or so, the time may be right. It can literally pay off. Jobvite, a maker of recruiting software, commissioned a survey on this topic last year and learned that only 29% of employees had engaged in salary negotiations at their current or most recent job. Of those who did, 84% were successful and walked away with greater pay.6

Of course, you also have the power to negotiate your pay when you change jobs. That ability is not always acknowledged. Robert Half, the staffing firm, recently hired independent researchers to poll 2,700 U.S. workers employed in professional environments. The pollsters found that just 39% of these workers attempted to negotiate a better salary upon their most recent job offer. The percentage was higher for men (46%) than for women (34%).7     

Financially speaking, your twenties represent a very important time. Too many people look back over their lives at fifty or sixty and wish they had been able to save and invest earlier. These are the same people who may face an uncertain retirement. Rather than be one of them years from now, do things today that may position you for a better financial future.  

Kurt Rohrs may be reached at (480) 812-8640 or kurtrohrs@SWRetire.com

Southwestern Retirement Planning Advisors, Inc.

3800 S. Alma School Road, Suite 123

Chandler, AZ 85248

www.SWRetire.com

Registered Representative offering securities and advisory services through Independent Financial Group LLC,

a registered broker-dealer and registered  investment adviser. Member FINRA/SIPC

Southwestern Retirement Planning Advisors, Inc. is not affiliated with Independent Financial Group LLC

OSJ Branch: 4041 MacArthur Blvd. Ste. 240, Newport Beach, CA 9266

This material was prepared by MarketingPro, Inc., and does not necessarily represent the views of the presenting party, nor their affiliates. This information has been derived from sources believed to be accurate. Please note – investing involves risk, and past performance is no guarantee of future results. The publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting or other professional services. If assistance is needed, the reader is advised to engage the services of a competent professional. This information should not be construed as investment, tax or legal advice and may not be relied on for the purpose of avoiding any Federal tax penalty. This is neither a solicitation nor recommendation to purchase or sell any investment or insurance product or service, and should not be relied upon as such. All indices are unmanaged and are not illustrative of any particular investment.

Citations.

1 – tinyurl.com/y7nne8bd [11/7/17]

2 – money.cnn.com/2017/10/20/pf/health-insurance-first-time/index.html [10/21/17]

3 – fool.com/investing/2018/03/22/your-2018-guide-to-federal-student-loan-repayment.aspx [3/22/18]

4 – bankrate.com/finance/credit-cards/current-interest-rates.aspx [4/5/18]

5 – investor.gov/additional-resources/free-financial-planning-tools/compound-interest-calculator [4/5/18]

6 – cnbc.com/2017/05/25/most-employees-dont-negotiate-their-salary.html [5/25/17]

7 – smallbiztrends.com/2018/02/salary-negotiation-statistics.html [2/8/18]

The post Smart Financial Steps After College appeared first on Southwestern Retirement Planning Advisors - Retirement Planning Chandler, AZ.

Sixty-two percent said that they would take the $2,700 per month. Figuring on a 20-year retirement for today’s 65-year-olds, $2,700 per month comes to $648,000 by age 85. So, why did nearly 40% of the survey respondents pick the lump sum over the stable monthly income?1

Maybe the instant gratification psychology common to lottery winners played a part. Maybe they ran some numbers and figured that the $500,000 lump sum would grow to exceed $648,000 in twenty years if invested – but there is certainly no guarantee of that. Perhaps they felt their retirements would last less than 20 years, as was the case with many of their parents, making the lump sum a “better deal.”

The reality is that once you retire, income is the primary concern. The state of your accumulated retirement savings matters, yes – but retirement is when you start to convert those savings to fund your everyday life.

Could you retire with income equivalent to 80% of your final salary? If you have saved and invested consistently through the years, that objective may be achievable.

Social Security replaces about 40% of income for the average wage earner. (For those at higher income levels, the percentage may be less.) So where will you get the rest of your retirement income? It could come from as many as six sources.   

Systematic withdrawals from retirement savings and investment accounts. You may start taking distributions from these accounts at an initial withdrawal rate of 4% (or less). If these accounts are quite large, the income taken could even match or exceed your Social Security benefits.3

Private income contracts. Some retirees opt for these, though the income they receive may not be immediate.

Pensions. The health of some pension funds notwithstanding, here is another prime source of income.

Your home. Selling an expensive residence and buying a cheaper one can free up equity and reduce future expenses, thereby leaving more money for you to live off in the future.

Passive income streams. Examples include business income produced without material participation in the business, rental income, dividends, and royalties.

Work. Part-time work also lessens the pressure to draw down balances in your retirement and investment accounts.

Work longer, and you may indirectly give your retirement income a boost. One recent analysis from the National Bureau of Economic Research concluded that by delaying your retirement even three to six months, you could give yourself the potential to raise your standard of living in retirement as much as you would if you save 1% more of your pay over 30 years.3,4

Remember that earning too much in retirement can impact your Social Security benefits. Part of them can be taxed if your “provisional income” surpasses a certain threshold.

Social Security calculates your provisional income with the following formula: provisional income = your modified adjusted gross income + 50% of your yearly Social Security benefits + 100% of tax-exempt interest that your investments generate. (Since pension payments and retirement account withdrawals are considered ordinary income by the federal government, they both count in this formula.)3,5

If you are a married taxpayer who files a joint income tax return, as much as 50% of your Social Security benefits can be taxed if your provisional income tops $32,000, and as much as 85% if it exceeds $44,000. For single filers, the 50%/85% taxation thresholds are set at $25,000 and $34,000.5

Although your retirement benefits may be taxed, more retirement income is decidedly better than less – and a key part of retirement planning is estimating both your retirement income need and your retirement income potential. Talk to a financial professional about that matter before you retire.

Kurt Rohrs may be reached at (480) 812-8640 or kurtrohrs@SWRetire.com

Southwestern Retirement Planning Advisors, Inc.

3800 S. Alma School Road, Suite 123

Chandler, AZ 85248

www.SWRetire.com

Registered Representative offering securities and advisory services through Independent Financial Group LLC,

a registered broker-dealer and registered  investment adviser. Member FINRA/SIPC

Southwestern Retirement Planning Advisors, Inc. is not affiliated with Independent Financial Group LLC

OSJ Branch: 4041 MacArthur Blvd. Ste. 240, Newport Beach, CA 92660

This material was prepared by MarketingPro, Inc., and does not necessarily represent the views of the presenting party, nor their affiliates. This information has been derived from sources believed to be accurate. Please note – investing involves risk, and past performance is no guarantee of future results. The publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting or other professional services. If assistance is needed, the reader is advised to engage the services of a competent professional. This information should not be construed as investment, tax or legal advice and may not be relied on for the purpose of avoiding any Federal tax penalty. This is neither a solicitation nor recommendation to purchase or sell any investment or insurance product or service, and should not be relied upon as such. All indices are unmanaged and are not illustrative of any particular investment.

   Citations.

1 – fool.com/retirement/2018/01/02/lifetime-income-retirees-need-it-and-heres-how-to.aspx [1/2/18]

2 – ssa.gov/planners/retire/r&m6.html [1/25/18]

3 – cbsnews.com/news/the-top-retirement-decisions-facing-older-workers/ [1/25/18]

4 – nber.org/papers/w24226.pdf [1/18]

5 – ssa.gov/planners/taxes.html [1/25/18]

The post For Retirement, Income Matters as Much as Savings appeared first on Southwestern Retirement Planning Advisors - Retirement Planning Chandler, AZ.