Top 4 retirement worries — and how to best deal with them
As Social Security dwindles, the cost of living increases and people continue to live longer, it’s understandable to be concerned about retirement. Last year, non-retired Americans’ expectations for a comfortable retirement showed pessimism not seen since 2012, according to a poll from analytics and advisory firm Gallup.
But planning ahead can help you deal with some of those most urgent concerns. Here are four of the top retirement worries many people experience and how to best deal with them.
1. Running out of money
The number one concern Jordan Gilberti, a senior financial planner at Facet, says he hears from retirees and pre-retirees is the fear of running out of money. That’s changed over the years since in the past, savers have relied on defined-benefit plans like pensions. Now that those plans have largely gone by the wayside, people have to be a lot more dependent on their own savings for retirement, Gilberti says.
While the amount of money someone will need in retirement varies, experts generally say you should be able to replace around 80 percent of your retirement income once you retire from your job. That may seem unattainable: 56 percent of workers feel behind on their retirement savings according to a Bankrate survey published last year.
It’s no surprise that much of the anxiety around retirement centers on money. The first step to addressing this is developing a retirement income plan, Gilberti says. These plans should include coverage for essential expenses, growth potential for long-term needs and flexibility to adjust the plan, according to Fidelity Investments.
“You need to get clarity on where you’re at today and what you might need to do to plug any holes in your retirement plan,” Gilberti says. “It’s really difficult to tell just by looking at your 401(k) plan how long your money is going to last, and whether you’re over- or underspending.”
2. Market fluctuations
When your retirement savings is tied up in the financial markets, it can be stressful to watch dramatic price movements in your portfolio. While market fluctuations are a major retirement concern, Gilberti says the key is to be invested for accumulation while you’re working and deccumulation once you’re retired. That means shifting your portfolio from riskier assets that come with higher risk and higher potential returns, like stocks, to lower-risk assets that provide fixed income, like bonds.
What you shouldn’t do is panic every time the market takes a nosedive, and pull your money out of the market. The returns on an investment in the S&P 500 over the last two decades would have been cut in half if it missed the index’s 10 best days, according to a recent J.P. Morgan Asset Management analysis.
3. Long-term care expenses
The inability to pay for long-term care is another major retirement concern, since seven out of 10 people will require this care at some point during their lifetime, according to data from insurance company Genworth. The median monthly cost for an in-home health aide is $6,292 a month. For a private room in a nursing home, that figure jumps to $9,733, the data shows.
As the cost of long-term care continues to rise, Gilberti says it’s important to get “stress tests” on your retirement income plan. If your plan looks strong, does it survive when you add the cost of buying long-term care in your eighties?
“If a long-term care event would be catastrophic to your retirement plan, you should explore strategies for mitigating that risk like potentially long-term care insurance,” Gilberti adds. You can consider hybrid life insurance policies that also include long-term care, or opening a separate savings account that is specifically for long-term care.
4. Rising health care costs and health insurance coverage
Similarly to long-term care costs, health care costs continue to be on the rise. Health insurance costs are a major concern for early retirees specifically, Gilberti says, since Medicare is only available to people age 65 and older.
Health savings accounts (HSAs) can help bridge the savings gap. If someone qualifies and it makes sense for them to be on a high-deductible plan, maxing out an HSA is usually a good idea — especially if they’re planning to retire early, Gilberti says,
Bottom line
If you’re concerned about retirement, you’re not alone. Soaring costs can make for an intimidating outlook. But there are ways to check that you are on track with your savings, and tools for filling holes in your retirement income plan.
