Does your vision of retirement align with the facts? Here are some noteworthy financial and lifestyle facts about life after 50 that might surprise you.
Up to 85% of a retiree’s Social Security income can be taxed. Some retirees are taken aback when they discover this. In addition to the Internal Revenue Service, 13 states currently levy taxes on some or all Social Security retirement benefits: Colorado, Connecticut, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Rhode Island, Utah, Vermont, and West Virginia. (West Virginia, incidentally, is phasing out such taxation.)
Actually, this is true for all taxpayers aged 65 and older, whether they are retired or not. Right now, the standard deduction for a single filer in this age bracket is $13,850, compared to $12,200 for those 64 or younger. It is scheduled to rise to $14,050 in 2020.
There is no age limit for contributing to a Roth IRA, as long as the owner earns income. So, a retiree can keep directing money into a Roth IRA for life, provided they are not earning too much. A senior can potentially contribute to a traditional IRA until the year they turn 70½.
Looking at data from the Federal Reserve’s triennial Surveys of Consumer Finances, the median debt of senior households (age 65+) has more than doubled since the start of the century.
The most stressful debt for seniors, according to a 2019 study from Ohio State University researchers, is credit card debt. The study calculates that each new dollar of credit card debt taken on by a senior household creates financial stress approximating an additional $14-20 of home loan debt.
Moreover, a sudden financial liability may delay retirement. Another 2019 study, co-authored by researchers from the Urban Institute and the Congressional Budget Office, looks at the potential impact of a new $10,000 debt on an individual between 55-70 years old carrying the median amount of credit card debt for their age. The researchers concluded that this jump in debt would make a baby boomer 9% more likely to put off retiring.
The Administration for Community Living (a federal agency) says around 14% of older adults (65+) live by themselves. With millennials living at home and blended and extended families becoming common, perhaps this is not so surprising. The ACL does note that nearly half of women older than age 75 are on their own.
This factoid comes from the 2019 Transamerica Retirement Survey`of American Workers. Another 42% say they have unwritten strategies. The remaining 43%? No strategy at all.
While retirees certainly love to travel, a Merrill Lynch study says that only about a third of people aged 50 and older earmark funds for their trips.
What monetary realities might you need to acknowledge as your retirement progresses from one phase to the next? The reality of retirement may surprise you. If you have not met with a financial advisor about your retirement savings and income needs, you may wish to do so. When it comes to retirement, the more information you have, the better.
You’re beginning to accumulate substantial wealth, but you worry about protecting it from future potential creditors. Whether your concern is for your personal assets or your business, various tools exist to keep your property safe from tax collectors, accident victims, health-care providers, credit card issuers, business creditors, and creditors of others. To insulate your property … Continue reading “Estate Planning – Protecting Your Assets”
You know how important it is to plan for your retirement, but where do you begin? One of your first steps should be to estimate how much income you’ll need to fund your retirement. That’s not as easy as it sounds, because retirement planning is not an exact science. Your specific needs depend on your … Continue reading “Estimating Your Retirement Income Needs”
As June begins, markets continue to navigate a complex landscape shaped by trade policy shifts, an uncertain economic and earnings outlook, and bond market headwinds. Several key developments in recent weeks may have implications for markets:
April showers came a month early as stocks fell in March. Tariffs were the primary cause of the market jitters, although that uncertainty became too much for markets to shrug off once economic data started to weaken.
A successful investor maximizes gain and minimizes loss. Though there can be no guarantee that any investment strategy will be successful and all investing involves risk, including the possible loss of principal, here are six basic principles that may help you invest more successfully.
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