Let’s Look at Women’s Retirement

May is the month of flowers, springtime weather and Mother’s Day. With Mother’s Day just around the corner, I traditionally ask my clients to think about the status of Mom’s (and maybe your own) retirement prospects. If you are like most folks, you and your Mom may have a lot to think about. 

Women’s Retirement Concerns 

Do you worry that you or your Mom will outliving your retirement income? Unfortunately, that’s a realistic concern for many women. At age 65,women can expect to live, on average, an extra 19.8 years.* In addition, many women will live into their 90s. This means that women should generally plan for a long retirement that will last at least 20 to 30 years. Women should also strongly consider the possibility of spending some/many of those years alone.
 
According to recent statistics, 42% of older women are widowed,11% are divorced, and about half of all women age 75 and older live alone.** For married women, the loss of a spouse can mean a significant decrease in retirement income from Social Security or pensions.
 
So what can women do to make sure they’ll have enough income to last throughout retirement? 
 
Here are some tips:

• Estimate how much income you’ll need. Use your current expenses as a starting point, but note that your expenses may change dramatically by the time you retire.
 
• Find out how much you can expect to receive from Social Security, pension plans, and other sources. What benefits will you receive should you become widowed or divorced?
 
• Set a retirement savings goal that you can work toward and keep track of your progress.
 
• Save regularly, save as much as you can, and then look for ways to save more–dedicate a portion of every raise, bonus, cash gift, or tax refund to your retirement savings.
 
• Consider purchasing long-term care insurance to help protect your retirement savings and income from the high cost of nursing home care. 

Even though there is a lot of information published every year on women and retirement, women only seem to be doing marginally better at saving for and planning for their retirement years.
 
If you need ideas on your retirement planning, contact me. I can help you with a savings plan, budgeting, planning for retirement income and information on long-term care insurance.
                                                     
Statistics are an excerpt from: Forefield Advisor
* Source: National Vital Statistics Report, Volume 58, Number
1, 2009
** Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Administration on Aging, A Profile of Older Americans: 2008

 
Jane Nowak  is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ with a focus on Women’s Retirement and Financial Planning for Women. Located in the Smyrna, Marietta, Vinings area of Atlanta, GA,  Jane’s goal is to educate and empower women to take control of their daily finances so they can fully fund their retirement dreams and needs. Jane has recently had articles quoted and published on-line at the NASDAQ, Womenetics.com, Smart Money Chicks, Fox Business News, CreditCards.com and Financial Planning Association (FPA) websites.

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Is it Time to Close Retirement Income Gap or Rethink Your Dream of Retirement?

When you determine how much income you’ll need in retirement, you may base your projection on the type of lifestyle you plan to have and when you want to retire. However, like many Americans, as you grow closer to retirement, you may discover that your income won’t be enough to meet your needs. If you find yourself in this situation, you’ll need to adopt a plan to bridge this projected income gap or even totally rethink your entire dream of having a full retirement.

 Delay retirement: 65 is just a number

One way of dealing with a projected income shortfall is to stay in the workforce longer than you had planned. This will allow you to continue supporting yourself with a salary rather than dipping into your retirement savings. Depending on your income, this could also increase your Social Security retirement benefit. You’ll also be able to delay taking your Social Security benefit or distributions from retirement accounts. 

At normal retirement age (which varies, depending on the year you were born), you will receive your full Social Security retirement benefit. You can elect to receive your Social Security retirement benefit as early as age 62, but if you begin receiving your benefit before your normal retirement age, your benefit will be reduced. Conversely, if you delay retirement, you can increase your Social Security benefit. 

Remember, too, that income from a job may affect the amount of Social Security retirement benefit you receive if you are under normal retirement age. Your benefit will be reduced by $1 for every $2 you earn over a certain earnings limit ($14,160 in 2010 and 2011). But once you reach normal retirement age, you can earn as much as you want without affecting your Social Security retirement benefit. 

Another advantage of delaying retirement is that you can continue to build tax-deferred funds in your IRA or employer-sponsored retirement plan. Keep in mind, though, that you may be required to start taking minimum distributions from your qualified retirement plan or traditional IRA once you reach age 70½, if you want to avoid harsh penalties. 

And if you’re covered by a pension plan at work, you could also consider retiring and then seeking employment elsewhere. This way you can receive a salary and your pension benefit at the same time. Some employers, to avoid losing talented employees this way, are beginning to offer “phased retirement” programs that allow you to receive all or part of your pension benefit while you’re still working. Make sure you understand your pension plan options. 

Spend less, save more 

You may be able to deal with an income shortfall by adjusting your spending habits. If you’re still years away from retirement, you may be able to get by with a few minor changes. However, if retirement is just around the corner, you may need to drastically change your spending and saving habits. Saving even a little money can really add up if you do it consistently and earn a reasonable rate of return. Make permanent changes to your spending habits and you’ll find that your savings will last even longer. Start by preparing a budget to see where your money is going. Here are some suggested ways to stretch your retirement dollars: 

• Refinance your home mortgage if interest rates have dropped since you took the loan.
• Reduce your housing expenses by moving to a less expensive home or apartment.
• Sell one of your cars if you have two. When your remaining car needs to be replaced, consider buying a used one.
• Access the equity in your home. Use the proceeds from a second mortgage or home equity line of credit to pay off higher-interest-rate debts.
• Transfer credit card balances from higher-interest cards to a low- or no-interest card, and then cancel the old accounts.
• Ask about insurance discounts and review your insurance needs (e.g., your need for life insurance may have lessened).
• Reduce discretionary expenses such as lunches and dinners out. 

Earmark the money you save for retirement and invest it immediately. If you can take advantage of an IRA, 401(k), or other tax-deferred retirement plan, you should do so. Funds invested in a tax-deferred account will generally grow more rapidly than funds invested in a non-tax-deferred account. 

Accept reality: lower your standard of living 

If your projected income shortfall is severe enough or if you’re already close to retirement, you may realize that no matter what measures you take, you will not be able to afford the retirement lifestyle you’ve dreamed of. In other words, you will have to lower your expectations and accept a lower standard of living. 

Fortunately, this may be easier to do than when you were younger. Although some expenses, like health care, generally increase in retirement, other expenses, like housing costs and automobile expenses, tend to decrease. And it’s likely that your days of paying college bills and growing-family expenses are over. 

Once you are within a few years of retirement, you can prepare a realistic budget that will help you manage your money in retirement. Think long term: Retirees frequently get into budget trouble in the early years of retirement, when they are adjusting to their new lifestyles. Remember that when you are retired, every day is Saturday, so it’s easy to start overspending.

About Jane Nowak, CFP® – MoneyGal2020

Jane Nowak, CFP® is a Financial Planner who specializes on AT&T retirement and benefit plans and on Women’s Retirement and Financial Planning for Women. Located in NW Atlanta suburbs Jane’s goal is to educate and empower her clients to take control of their daily finances so they can fully fund their retirement dreams.

Jane has recently had articles published or has been quoted in articles published online at  NASDAQ, Womenetics.com, Fox Business News, Smart Money Chicks, CreditCards.com and Financial Planning Association websites.

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