October 8, 2013

Got a 401k? A Guide for New Retirees

Upon retiring, you suddenly have access to a chunk of money that’s been accumulating in your 401(k). It’s easy to make a move that incurs unfamiliar tax consequences or otherwise jeopardizes your hard-earned savings.

Based on interviews with financial planners, as well as experts at the Center for Retirement Research, which funds this blog, Squared Away assembled the following check list for imminent and new retirees:

• At least one year before retiring, collect information from:
  • Social Security – how does your monthly check vary, depending on the filing age you select, and how can you and your spouse determine the best strategy for getting the benefits you’ll need?
  • Your employer – is an annuity an option in your 401(k) plan, or how much can you expect to receive per month from a defined benefit pension?
  • A fee-only planner or other financial resources – what are your priorities and options; how much retirement income do you need; do your Social Security, 401(k) savings, and employer pensions generate enough income, and with how much risk; should you delay Social Security to increase your total monthly income; and should you purchase an annuity to cover your fixed expenses?
     
    “Make sure before you stop working that you’re financially prepared to do so,” said John Spoto, owner of Sentry Financial Planning in Andover, Mass., near Boston. …

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  tags manage money|​retirement

October 3, 2013

Compulsive Spender? Blame Your Parents

There’s a bright line between an impulse purchase and compulsive spending.

When something new catches her eye, the impulsive buyer snaps it up and enjoys the splurge. There is no such enjoyment for the compulsive buyer. The act of buying temporarily alleviates her anxiety but she inevitably feels guilt or regret.

A new study explores the childhood experiences that lie at the root of why some people – women more than men – develop these damaging spending problems, which can lead to enormous debts and derail plans to save for the future.

The specific goal of the study, based on surveying 327 college students, was to shed light on the emotional pathways that can lead to compulsive buying, explained researcher Anil Mathur, a marketing professor at Hofstra University. The experiences the researchers associated with this behavior include disruptive family lives, more controlling parents, and teens who seek out peers to support their spending. …Learn More

October 1, 2013

Dementia Prevention

There are now two reasons to postpone retirement.

The financial reason has been covered repeatedly in this blog: working longer increases a retiree’s savings and monthly Social Security income, while shortening the number of retirement years that their savings will have to fund.

If that doesn’t convince you, here’s the other reason: working longer may prevent dementia.

That’s the conclusion of a study on nearly 430,000 French retirees. After analyzing their health and insurance records, the researcher determined that each additional year an older worker remained in the labor forced further reduced the risk of being diagnosed with various forms of dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease. …Learn More