Key lessons for retirement savers.

You learn lessons as you invest in pursuit of long-run goals. Some of these lessons are conveyed and reinforced when you begin saving for retirement, and others, you glean along the way.

Three common misconceptions to think about.

1 – Assuming retirement will last 10-15 years.

When Social Security was created in the 1930s, the average American could anticipate living to age 58 as a man or 62 as a woman. By 2017, life expectancy for the average American had increased to 78.6. That said, this average may bely the fact that many retirees could live well into their nineties or beyond.^1,2

Assuming you will only need 10- or 15-years’ worth of retirement money could be a big mistake.

It may seem like a tall order, but it can be accomplished.

Put yourself steps ahead of your peers. If you have a young, growing family, no doubt your to-do list is pretty long on any given day. Beyond today, you are probably working on another kind of to-do list for the long term. Where does “saving and investing” rank on that list?

What should you focus on as the transition approaches?

You can prepare for your retirement transition years before it occurs. In doing so, you can do your best to avoid the kind of financial surprises that tend to upset an unsuspecting new retiree.   

A convenient move that could ward off probate on your accounts.

TOD, JTWROS – what do these obscure acronyms signify? They are shorthand for transfer on death and joint tenancy with right of survivorship – two designations that permit automatic transfer of bank or investment accounts from a deceased spouse to a surviving spouse.¹

Two financial unknowns may erode our degree of confidence.

The financial uncertainties we face in retirement may risk reducing our sense of confidence, potentially undermining our outlook during those years.

Indeed, according to the 2018 Retirement Confidence Survey by the Employee Benefits Research Institute, only 17% of pre-retirees said they are “very confident” about having enough assets to live comfortably in retirement. In addition, just 32% of retirees were “very confident” in their prospects for doing so.¹

If you are between 40 & 60, beware of these financial blunders & assumptions.

Mistakes happen, even for people who have some life experience under their belt. That said, your retirement strategy is one area of life where you want to avoid having some fundamental misconceptions. These errors and suppositions are worth examining, as you do not want to succumb to them. See if you notice any of these behaviors or assumptions creeping into your financial life.

Having your identity stolen may be costly.

Many Americans have taken steps in recent years to protect their personal information, but savvy cybercrooks have overcome some of those defenses. A 2018 Javelin Research report found identity theft hit an all-time high in 2017, affecting an estimated 16.7 million consumers. For the first time, Social Security numbers were compromised more frequently than credit card numbers.¹

Breaking down the basics & what each part covers.

Whether your 65th birthday is on the horizon or decades away, you should understand the parts of Medicare – what they cover and where they come from.     

Perhaps both traditional and Roth IRAs can play a part in your retirement plans.

IRAs can be an important tool in your retirement savings belt, and whichever you choose to open could have a significant impact on how those accounts might grow.