Retirement Savings

Now that we’ve passed the mid-year mark, many economists and self-declared financial pundits are reviewing investment performances of the first 6 months and predicting the next 6. The most frequent question seems to be whether we’re headed toward a bear market, followed by a recession. This, despite the fact the economy is strong with unemployment at historical lows and companies reporting earnings growth.

Most of our clients hire Moneywatch because they are consumed with their careers and busy with their families and they want us to plan for their financial independence and manage their investments to achieve that goal. And, for many, words like inverted yield curve and budget deficits make their eyes roll back in their head.  So, if the term zero term premium means you’ve had a bad semester, read here for what you need to know about your retirement investments if the market declines…or doesn’t. 

There’s a new movement, inspired by millennials, to supercharge one’s efforts to acquire enough money to retire early. And when I say early, I mean in their late 30’s and 40’s. This starts with a foundation with which we’re familiar: live beneath your means; save money; invest in a diversified portfolio of growth and income funds, etc. But, FIRE takes this a step further – actually an Evil Knievel jump further – and adds super saving through extreme steps to achieve an extraordinary goal. That goal is not to just retire early, like by age 55, but WAY early, when most of our careers are only just beginning. Here is how some are living their life. Is it for you?

As you might expect, it is quite common for people to visit us at Moneywatch as they are in their 50’s and 60’s and can, maybe for the first time, actually envision a time when they will be retired. Although they, correctly, have a myriad of financial questions that I will describe later, the question WE ask THEM is – What’s your grand plan? Meaning, you have plenty of life left, how do you plan on living it?

It isn’t at all unusual for someone in their 50’s or even early 60’s to ask us for advice as they approach retirement with too little savings. As you might guess, there are as many reasons for being behind as there are people: a late start saving, frequent job changes, personal student loan debt, college expenses for their children, or just plain bad luck. Our first advice? Forgive yourself, your predicament is not about the past, it’s about the future. Let’s consider Joey’s story:

There is a natural, and understandable, instinct in most of us to want to pay off our mortgage as soon as possible. In fact, it’s considered a kind of rite of passage. Yep, the missus and I paid off the house and finally have the kids off the payroll, now we can save for our retirement! But, is paying down your house or other debt early really the right thing to do for your long-term best interest?