March 4, 2015

Some Spouses Shun Retirement Planning

Retirement is a joint project for married couples, but remarkably only 43 percent of couples plan for it together.

Are wives to blame?

Some husbands expressed frustration that their wives don’t engage in planning during a focus group conducted by Hearts & Wallets. One man reported that his wife “is not interested in investing,” and another said “all my wife cares about is if we’re going to have the money.”

A San Francisco man volunteered this worst-case scenario: “If I were to get hit by BART on the way home, she would be clueless about what to do with whatsoever there is or how to handle anything.”

Hearts & Wallets cofounder Laura Varas calls it the issue of the “uninvolved spouse.” In a new analysis of its 2013 survey data on 5,400 US households, the financial research firm found that 80 percent of these uninvolved spouses are wives among couples approaching retirement age. The good news is that younger wives are more engaged, Varas said. In early- and mid-career couples, fewer than 60 percent of uninvolved spouses were women.

Yet it’s hard to imagine how anyone can avoid this conversation, given the myriad issues to resolve: Will you stagger your retirement dates, especially if your ages are far apart? If saving and paying off the mortgage are twin retirement goals, are you both still contributing enough to your 401(k)s to ensure you get the full employer match? Have you coordinated your strategies for claiming Social Security? Will you be financially secure if your spouse dies first? …Learn More

March 3, 2015

Wanna Retire? Find a Purpose

In this video by KUTT-TV in Anchorage, Alaska, Fred Keller and Judy Foster show off their retirement project: they transformed a 1976 pickup truck into an oversized replica of a Radio Flyer wagon they can drive around town.

While a new red wagon isn’t for everyone, it illustrates an important point: retirees need to find ways to remain active. Older people warn that retirement shouldn’t be viewed exclusively as a time to “relax,” a well-deserved break.  People who enter retirement expecting nirvana often find they’re bored stiff, or even depressed, due to an abrupt drop in productivity after decades of working. Retirees also spend a lot of time alone or watching television.

This blog often promotes the benefits of financial health and mental health that come with working longer.  When making financial preparations for retirement, preparation should also include thinking about pursuits such as working on a long-neglected project or hobby, writing a family history, or finding a social group, part-time job, avocation, or volunteer work to add structure and purpose to one’s life.

It took Keller and Foster nearly a year to build their vehicle, KTUU reports. When they took it on the road, they discovered another benefit: talking to the people who invariably ask them about their Radio Flyer is a constant source of fun.Learn More