Retirement offers everyone a peaceful time to relax after years of service. It would be best to make the transition process as smooth as possible in terms of finances. Many people are looking for ways to have a comfortable, secure, and fun life after retirement. After all, their years of service should be appreciated.
According to Helen Lee Schifter, planning retirement is a multistep process that evolves. To transit into retirement without hassle takes more palling and saving during the years of service. Planning can be tedious, but the fruits are juicy at the end.
What to Focus on When Planning Retirement
Planning involves a series of steps that focus on retirement goals as well as personal lifestyles. There are several retirement accounts that people open to help in raising funds in the future. It would be best to invest this capital to grow and be more useful in the future. Furthermore, retirement tax affects many people living with fewer savings. It is best to look for ways that ensure the tax at retirement is minimal. Therefore, looking up to a livable future after retirement should focus on the following key concepts, according to Schifter.
Identify Expenses
Life after retirement seems easier and very slow since there is no need to wake up daily for work. It would be best to look at the daily expenses and money used on purchasing basic needs. The most important things to cover are food, housing, medical expenses, insurance, and transport. After the basic needs, the next part of looking at is money spent on travel and hobbies. It is essential to have fun activities worked out early to avoid unnecessary spending.
Income Generating Activities
After retirement, people want to have sources of income. There needs to be a way to generate income other than work. Income sources can come through investments or the pension plan from the former job. Settling the idea of having other income sources during retirement helps to boost finances. Sources of income include investment accounts, rental income, or any part-time job.
Stay On Top of Estate Planning
Retirement planning involves an appropriate estate plan to put all the assets in check. Life insurance is part of the estate plan and the retirement plan that everyone must have to succeed. Also, ensure all assets are distributed to loved ones in case of any financial hardship. Most people wait until there is a calamity, and they have to spend a lot of cash and time in the probate process.
Eliminate All Kinds of Debts
Many people tend to forget their debts when they are still earning. They involve more in investing in activities that seldom pay. Paying off all debt is an effective way to live in peace after retirement. It is easy to utilize savings after retirement when there is no debt to pay off.
Conclusion
Helen Lee Schifter is a former arbitrage trader on Wall Street and former editor at Hearst. After many years in service, she lives in New York City with no regrets. She explains how the above values help her to lead her new life without regrets. Anyone who applies these has a better chance of retiring and transiting into a better life.