Beverley Schottenstein is the matriarch of a billion dollar family empire. At age 93, she went into battle against one of the biggest banks in the world... and her own grandsons to teach them the lesson of their lives about much more than money.
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Twisted: Conflict, Madness, and the Redemptive Power of a Granddaughter’s Love
Only 17% of low and moderate-income adults aged 50 or older believe they are in good financial health, according to research from the Financial Health Network. Many of these people don’t have enough income or assets to work with a financial planner. This leaves them with many unanswered questions about how to manage their income and reduce their debts during retirement, how to choose Medicare coverage, and when they should start taking Social Security benefits. While robo-advisors can help people make smarter decisions about investing, these apps don’t address personalized financial planning advice. And while there still isn’t a single app that addresses all of these issues, there are many low-cost solutions that can address some of them, many of which also offer access to human assistance.
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According to the Employee Benefit Research Institute 2021 Retirement Confidence Survey, more than half of workers and a third of retirees said that debt was a major problem in their household. Too much debt can negatively impact your credit score, which banks and other lenders use to determine whether to approve your credit card or loan request and how much interest you’ll pay. That’s why it’s important to check on your creditworthiness on a regular basis. You’re entitled to receive one free credit report per year from each of the three main credit reporting agencies—Equifax, Experian and Transunion. Through April 2022, you can also receive free credit reports every week from these agencies. These reports will include your current FICO credit score, which is based on how much total debt you owe, your on-time payment record, and how long you’ve held different loans and credit cards. Any credit score above 700 is considered to be very good. Your credit score can change on a weekly basis, and the best way to raise it is by reducing your outstanding debt balances and making on-time payments. Another good reason to check your credit reports on a regular basis is to identify any errors that may negatively impact your score or to make sure that identity thieves haven’t opened fraudulent accounts under your name. To prevent future fraud, you can place a credit freeze through all three credit reporting agencies. This will prevent criminals from being able to open credit cards or loans using your stolen personal information, and you can “unfreeze” at any time. To help your children begin to establish their credit history without falling into a debt quagmire, encourage them to apply for a credit card with a low credit limit or one that’s secured by a deposit. And if you’re planning to co-sign a loan for a child or a relative, make sure you monitor their payments, since their delinquency will negatively impact your credit score.
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Most retirees want to live independently as long as possible. But it’s important to have realistic expectations of what you’ll be able to do on your own as you grow older. According to a University of Michigan survey of 8,000 seniors, 31% of respondents between the ages of 80-89 said they could live independently. That number dropped to just 4% for those over 90. If you’re hoping to live independently by staying in your home—or moving to a condo or townhouse in a retirement community—you’ll need to think about how you may eventually need to adapt your dwelling to accommodate physical limitations that naturally occur as you age. Fortunately, there are plenty of companies that specialize in installing stairlifts and making bedrooms and bathrooms wheelchair accessible. Mobile devices and smart-home technologies make it easier to get immediate help if an emergency occurs. If you’re living on your own, it’s also important to develop and maintain a multi-tiered social network of people who can help you—and whom you can help in return. Family, friends, neighbors and members of your house of worship can all play different roles in this network. Try also to build strong, mutually beneficial relationships with one or two younger people who are willing to help you during emergency situations. And make sure to formally designate people you trust to serve as your financial and healthcare proxies if and when you’re no longer able to make these critical decisions on your own.
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According to a recent MetLife survey, 19% of full-time Baby Boomers said they would need to delay retiring because of COVID-19-related financial challenges. However, in the same survey, 12% said that the pandemic had convinced them to retire earlier, citing reasons such as dissatisfaction with their job or “life is too short.”
There’s also a growing movement known as Financial Independence, Retire Early (FIRE). These workers, mostly highly paid Millennials and Generation Zers, are committed to saving and investing as much as possible and paring non-essential spending to the bone so they can retire in their mid-50s or earlier.
Whether you’re hoping to retire in your 50s or plan on working into your 70s, it’s important to evaluate whether you’ll have enough income to last potentially thirty years or more. Start by estimating your life expectancy, which is based on your family history as well as your current physical health and lifestyle habits. Next, consider whether you can delay taking Social Security until age 70, when you’ll earn the maximum benefits. Then calculate how much your 401(k) plan and IRA accounts will be worth at your desired retirement age and estimate how much of an income hit you might take if a bear market drives down the value of your retirement assets by 25% or more when you first start making withdrawals.
If there’s a strong possibility that you won’t have enough income from Social Security and your savings, consider whether it makes sense to invest some of your nest egg in an annuity that will provide guaranteed income for life or if you may need to delay retiring or take on a part-time job after you’ve stop working full-time.
These are complex issues and the cost of making the wrong choices today could threaten your future financial security. To give you greater peace of mind, consider seeking the advice of a fee-only fiduciary financial planner. These professionals can objectively analyze your current and future spending and income sources, your outstanding debts, and the size and holdings in your retirement accounts to provide a realistic assessment of how likely you are to achieve your retirement goals and what you can do to improve your chances.
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