Retirement planning requires a robust strategy and familiarity with the challenges facing 21st-century investors. The following list is important to understanding what will confront us going forward in retirement.
- The Age Wave: We Americans are living longer and the greatest fear people have, next to maintaining good health, is the fear of outliving their income.
- The Pension Demise: With fewer and fewer company sponsored pension plans, it is now up to the individual to provide for his/her income security throughout retirement.
- Social Security: Social security was originally designed as supplemental income, yet many in retirement depend upon it as their sole income base.
- Ever Increasing Taxes: In fact, taxes represent the single largest household expense and they are increasing due to ever mounting federal and state government deficits.
- Inflation: The silent, invisible, always present erosion to assets and income. Inflation has averaged 3% per year since 1926.
- The Healthcare Debacle: Due to aging, living longer, and the issues surrounding long term care, Americans are facing ever increasing healthcare costs and potential loss of assets.
- Investor Investment Mentality: Though the annual average S&P 500 return hovers around 10%, the average annual return to most investors is under 4%! How can that be? Fear and Greed. The average stock market investor “buys high and sells low.”
- Legacy Planning: Will there be anything left for the next generation?
- The Survivor Income Gap: The significant drop in survivor income that can occur upon the death of the first spouse… not recognized until it is too late!
- Asset Retention: Protecting your assets from lawsuits, creditors, Medicaid spend down and other threats.