With the children now out of the house, financial priorities become more focused on preparing for retirement. At this stage, you may very likely be at the height of your earning power and fast approaching peak savings as you lay the groundwork for retirement. During this final leg to retirement – and throughout your retirement period – wealth protection is critical.
The preservation of your assets will not be solely a function of your investment strategy, but will include a comprehensive insurance approach to protect you against an array of financial risks, most especially health care.
In addition to wealth protection, you may also now be seriously contemplating a number of important estate and legacy objectives.
Even though your mortgage may be paid off – thus, releasing you from the lender’s requirement to have homeowners insurance – it remains important to consider coverage against property loss and exposure to personal liability. Now is an ideal time to review your policy as the cost of replacing your home and belongings contained therein may have grown over the years.
Also, consider an umbrella policy, which is designed to help protect against the financial risk of personal liability.
There are several key health insurance issues facing empty nesters and retirees.
If you retire prior to age 65 when Medicare coverage is set to begin, you will need coverage to bridge the gap between when you retire and when you turn 65. If your spouse continues to work, you may want to consider getting yourself added to their plan; though, you may need to wait until the employer’s annual enrollment period.
Alternatively, you may also purchase coverage through a private insurer or HealthCare.gov (or your state’s program).
Once you enroll in Medicare, you should consider purchasing Part D of Medicare, the Medicare Prescription Drug Plan, which can help you save money on prescriptions.
Additionally, you may want to consider other Medigap insurance, which is designed to pay for medical care not covered by Medicare. Medigap plans are bought through private insurance companies and best purchased within the first six months of turning age 65 since no health exam is required during this period.
This coverage may continue until you retire. When you stop working, you should consider canceling your disability insurance as the need for it has expired.
The financial obligations that drove your life insurance needs while you were raising a family may have evaporated. However, you may find new needs arising from estate issues, such as liquidity, creating a legacy, etc. Several factors will affect the cost and availability of life insurance, including age, health, and the type and amount of insurance purchased. Life insurance policies have expenses, including mortality and other charges. If a policy is surrendered prematurely, the policyholder also may pay surrender charges and have income tax implications. You should consider determining whether you are insurable before implementing a strategy involving life insurance. Any guarantees associated with a policy are dependent on the ability of the issuing insurance company to continue making claim payments.
For some, extended care insurance is a priority in this stage of life. With the expense of children in the rearview mirror, you can now turn your focus to buying protection against, potentially, the most significant health care expense you are likely to face in retirement.
Designed to pay for chronic, long-lasting illnesses and regular care, whether in home or at a nursing home, extended care insurance coverage is critically important since most of these costs are not covered by Medicare.
The S&P 500 strung together 37 record highs this year aboard an 18.1% rally, as of July 10. The advance has largely been powered by a handful of mega cap names tied to technology and/or artificial intelligence. In fact, six stocks — NVIDIA (NVDA), Microsoft (MSFT), Apple (AAPL), Amazon (AMZN), Meta (META), and Alphabet (GOOG/L) … Continue reading “Market Performance is a Tale of Haves & Have-Nots”
Investors are people, and people are often impatient. No one likes to wait in line or wait longer than they have to for something, especially today when so much is just a click or two away.
You can prepare for the transition years in advance. In doing so, you may be better equipped to manage anything unexpected that may come your way.
When developing your estate plan, you can do well by doing good. Leaving money to charity rewards you in many ways. It gives you a sense of personal satisfaction, and it can save you money in estate taxes.
How healthy a retirement do you think you will have? If you can stay active as a senior and curb or avoid certain habits, you could potentially reduce one type of retirement expense. Each year, Fidelity Investments presents an analysis of retiree health care costs. In 2023, Fidelity projected that the average 65-year-old couple would … Continue reading “Retirement Wellness”
Epic Capital provides the following comprehensive financial planning and investment management services: Learn More >