Have you ever lost your wallet? I did years ago when I left my wallet in a pay phone booth (yes, I am dating myself!). I will never forget the panic I felt. I was fortunate it was found and turned into the local police station with everything intact, but many are not so lucky. If you cannot find your wallet, do you recall your panic while trying to recall the last place you remember having it. In your car? Your house? Did you drop it? Was it stolen?
When it comes to Social Security, there’s no one-size-fits-all answer. Some people take it at 62 (Generally, this is the earliest one can collect). Others wait until 70 to maximize their benefit. And then there are special considerations if you’re divorced or widowed.
Now it is time to start spending more time caring for yourself. This includes taking care of your mental and physical health. No longer are you that young, spry parent. Twenty years have likely gone by where you’ve done a little less exercising, eating right or paying attention to your body. As one moves into the empty-nester phase, its time to get your health and body in shape for the next phase. Joining a gym might be a good option for some, but it is more important to select activities that are right for you from walking every day to running in marathons—pick activities that you know you can stick with and are right for you.
Most people enter retirement in relatively good health, and understand they will pay premiums for Medicare, supplemental Medicare insurance, and Medicare drug plans, along with some out-of-pocket costs not covered by these plans. Many will face extra costs that recur each year which are not covered. Unanticipated expenses can add tens of thousands of dollars to healthcare costs in retirement. Fidelity Investments estimate cumulative health care costs will range around $345,000 for the average couple throughout retirement, or $172,500 for an individual. Advancements in medicine have contributed to longer lifespans. With the average life expectancy for a 65-year-old now at 82 years, retirees should prepare for potentially 20 to 30-plus years of retirement and associated healthcare costs.
f you’ve recently received an inheritance—whether large or small—you may be feeling a mix of emotions. There’s often gratitude, or even surprise (I once had a client receive 100k from an elderly neighbor that he had helped over the years), sometimes guilt, and almost always one big question: “What should I do now?” While there’s no one-size-fits-all answer, here are a few smart steps to consider:
As a financial planner, I get excited about opportunities like this, as there’s many more avenues and use cases for 529s than ever before.