Tag: Retirement Planning
QLAC 101
August 15, 2024
If you’ve saved well for retirement, then you may find you can cover your living expenses without needing to withdraw from your retirement accounts. But if you think that by age 73, you won’t need your full required minimum distributions or RMDs, then you might want to consider getting a qualified longevity annuity contract, or QLAC.
Anyone between the age of 18 and 75 can purchase a QLAC, but there may be some people that this annuity makes more sense for. If you’re looking to avoid the market risk on some retirement accounts and ensure a steady, guaranteed income in retirement, a QLAC is probably a good fit for you. If you also have concerns about the longevity of your savings and having enough money later in life, then you may benefit from a QLAC.
Here’s everything you need to know about a QLAC before deciding if it’s right for you.
How a QVAC Could Lower Your RMDs
A QLAC is a deferred fixed annuity contract sold by insurance and financial companies that you purchase with money from a retirement account, like a 401(k) or an individual retirement account (IRA).It’s important to know that Roth IRAs cannot be used to purchase QLACs as they do not come with RMDs to begin with.
RMDs are mandated starting at the age of 73 as of this year, but that will rise to age 75 in 2033. One appeal of the QLAC is that it can reduce the balance in your retirement accounts used to calculate those RMDs. “People tend to spend their RMDs,” says Steven Kaye, a financial planner in Warren, New Jersey. “So a QLAC forces people—in a good way—to leave more money in their IRAs,” he says.
One way to avoid using your RMDs is to use the funds from one of your retirement accounts to purchase a QLAC, which will guarantee that you receive regular payments for as long as you live. “So, if you used 25% of a $400,000 qualified account, your $100,000 purchase of a QLAC would immediately reduce your RMDs by 25%,” says Jerry Golden, investment advisor. “And the income from a QLAC could be deferred until as late as age 85,” he says.
When you choose a QLAC, you’ll be able to set your payout date, which is when you’ll begin receiving payments. Just like with Social Security, the longer you wait to receive payments, the higher the payments will be. Once you have a QLAC, you’ll be able to delay RMDs until the payout date of your QLAC, which can be no later than age 85.
The Tax Benefits of Having a QLAC
Once you withdraw money from your QLAC, you’ll need to pay income taxes on it. However, a QLAC can be an efficient tax planning strategy. For example, by using $100,000 of a traditional IRA to purchase a QLAC, you’ll reduce the balance of your IRA by $100,000, which will lower the amount you’ll need to take out for RMDs. The lower your RMD, the lower your income will be on that, which could significantly reduce the income tax you’ll owe.
QLAC Contribution Limits and Inflation Riders
You are now permitted to buy a QLAC for up to $200,000 from an eligible retirement plan. Previously, you were limited to whichever was lesser of $145,000 or 25% of your account balance. The current $200,000 upper limit is a combined cap that applies to all of your eligible retirement accounts, even if you take money from different accounts or purchase more than one QLAC. But if you and your spouse have your own eligible retirement accounts, then you can each spend up to the $200,000 limit on your own QLACs.
Since a QLAC locks in future payments, you are protecting your retirement money from market dips later in life. But unless you purchase an inflation rider with your QLAC, which will lower the initial amounts you receive from an annuity, your monthly payment may lose value over time.If you’re considering acquiring a QLAC, then you’ll want to work with a financial advisor to make sure you’re picking the right one.
Considering Your Spouse When Purchasing a QLAC
Some QLACs offer a survivor payout, also referred to as contingent annuity payments. These would continue your annuity payments to your designated beneficiary, which is usually a spouse, after your death. Other QLACs offer death benefits that would return any unused premiums to your beneficiaries through a lump sum or series of payments. If you have a spouse or individuals who will depend on your annuity after your passing, then you need to make sure any QLAC you choose has one of these features. Without these features in your annuity, your survivors would get nothing.
In addition to making sure your QLAC comes with a survivor payout or death benefit, you may also consider getting a joint QLAC with your spouse. If you’re married, a joint QLAC would provide income payments that continue for as long as one of you is alive. The only downside to choosing a joint contract is that it decreases your income payments, compared to a single life contract.
When a QLAC Isn’t For You
If you’re 65 and in poor health, you probably don’t want to wait until age 85 to start receiving income payments, so a QLAC may not benefit you at all. “If the probabilities are that you have a longer than average life expectancy, QLACs can be a windfall,” says Artie Green, a financial planner. “But if you have a shorter than expected longevity, of course, that works against you with any annuitization.” QLAC recipients can use their funds on whatever they want, but often they spend it on late-in-life health care or housing costs. The purpose of a QLAC is longevity protection that could minimize or even eliminate the risks of running out of money.
There are really only two scenarios in which a QLAC is a good fit. The first is if you have reached age 73 and do not need your RMDs to cover expenses. The second is if you think you’ll reach 73 and not have enough funds to pull from. QLACs can be a safeguard that guarantees you an income late in life, while also reducing your need for RMDs and even lowering your income taxes on them. At Insureyouknow.org, you may keep all of your financial and retirement planning in one place, making it easy for you to forecast and plan for your future.
Five Things Happy Retirees Have in Common
June 15, 2024
The transition into retirement can be difficult, when work no longer provides a sense of identity and accomplishment. The change can be startling, especially when most people don’t switch to part-time schedules on the way out of their full-time careers. “We don’t really shift our focus to, how do we live well in this extra time,” says M.T. Connolly, author of The Measure of Our Age. “A lot of people get happier as they age because they start to focus more on the meaningful parts of existence and emotional meaning and positive experience as finitude gets more real.”
While most people account for how much money they’ll need when it’s time to retire, there are many other factors to consider when planning for a fulfilling retirement. Here are five things that happy retirees have in common.
Feeling a Sense of Purpose
There are several approaches to staying active and finding purpose after leaving a career. “Your retirement schedule should be less stressful and demanding than your previous one, but we don’t need to avoid all forms of work or service,” says Kevin Coleman, a family therapist. “Find some work that you take pride in and find intrinsically meaningful.”
Many retirees, for example, choose encore careers, where instead of working for the money, they are working for the enjoyment of the job. Besides finding a new job, there are other simple ways to feel purposeful during retirement. Purpose can be found by making oneself useful, such as by volunteering in the community, joining a community board, or participating in an enjoyable activity with a group, like a gardening club. Many retirees enjoy volunteering to take care of their grandchildren or helping their older friends with caregiving duties. Finding purpose doesn’t need to be complicated and can be achieved through simple acts of showing up for others and being open to new connections.
Finding Ways to Connect
As nearly 25% of those who are 65 and older feel socially isolated, finding ways to connect are important for mental and physical well-being during retirement. One way to connect is through storytelling. Sharing our stories with the people we care about strengthens our social bonds and helps us feel less lonely. Storytelling also helps people pass down their family memories, especially when we share stories with younger relatives, such as with grandchildren. It’s a nice feeling to think that your memories will live on through your loved ones. “The models we have for aging are largely either isolation or age segregation,” says Connolly. “There’s a loss when we don’t have intergenerational contact. It impoverishes our social environment.” Perhaps the best thing to do as you age is to cherish and foster these relationships with younger relatives.
Making Plans for the Retirement Years
Budgeting for your retirement is crucial to happiness during the retirement years. Successful retirement planning includes paying off debts prior to retiring and saving for unexpected expenses or emergency funds in addition to a standard monthly budget. According to a survey conducted by Wes Moss, author of You Can Retire Sooner Than You Think, the happiest retirees are those who have between $700,000 and $1.25 million in liquid retirement savings, such as stocks, bonds, mutual funds, and cash. His research also found that retirees within five years or less of paying off their mortgages are four times more likely to be happy in retirement. This is because the mortgage payment is typically the most significant expense, so those retirees who own their homes feel safer and more at peace once they no longer have that bill. Plus, not having a mortgage payment due every month dramatically lowers their monthly expenses and can help retirement savings last longer.
Many retirees overlook retirement planning beyond their finances. New research from the Stanford Center on Longevity shows that where someone lives in retirement can affect their longevity. Researchers found that people over the age of 60 who lived in upper-income areas lived longer due to having more access to health and social services. They also credited strong social networks and a sense of community to living longer. So perhaps there’s a city or area that you’ve always dreamed of living in or you’d like to live closer to family. Think about where you want to live when you’re done working and then plan for it before you retire.
Beyond saving up and thinking about where you want to spend your retirement years, setting goals for once you’re in retirement is equally as important. “Research suggests that those who think about and plan for what they will do in retirement in advance are far happier and fulfilled once they actually retire and begin living this phase of life,” says financial planner Chris Urban. “Sometimes it is helpful for people to write down what they plan to do every day of the week, what goals they have, who they want to spend time with and what they want to do with them.”
While your goals before retirement were likely centered around career and finances, it will be important to set different kinds of goals once you’re retired. Having goals doesn’t become less important just because you’re no longer working. “If you really want something, maybe a new romance, then take a concrete step in that direction,” says psychiatry professor Ahron Friedberg. “Don’t ever tell yourself that it’s too late.”
Prioritizing Both Physical and Mental Health
With a full-time career no longer on the schedule, cooking healthy meals at home, getting enough sleep, and finding ways to be more physically active everyday will be easier. It will also be important to keep up on medical appointments and preventive therapies. A study conducted by Harvard shows that even people who become more physically active and adopt better diets later in their lives still lower their risks of cardiovascular illnesses and mortality more than their peers who do not. “Not all core pursuits include physical activity or exercise, but many of the top ones do. I refer to them as the ‘ings’—walking, running, biking, hiking, jogging, swimming, dancing, etc.,” says Moss. “These all involve some sort of motion and exercise.” The most sustainable form of physical activity will be doing more of those activities that you enjoy and that move your body.
In addition to caring for your physical health, focusing on your mental health is just as important, especially as you age. According to Harvard’s Medical newsletter, challenging your brain with mental exercise activates processes that help maintain individual brain cells and stimulate communication between them. So choose something new or that you’ve always wanted to learn. Take a course at a community college or learn how to play an instrument or speak a language. If you enjoy reading, visit the library every week for a new book. If you enjoy helping others learn, then looking into a part-time tutoring job or volunteering to tutor is a way to challenge yourself mentally, connect socially, and feel a sense of purpose.
Prioritizing your overall health includes asking for help when you need it. If you reach a point where you need assistance with daily tasks and activities, then you shouldn’t hesitate to ask for help early. Whether it’s family members or caregiving services, finding help with the things that are becoming difficult for you is the best way to maintain your independence for as long as you can so that you may continue to thrive during your retirement years.
It’s important to think about how you want to spend your retirement before it’s here. While many people only consider their finances when they begin to plan for the future, there are other factors, including how you’ll spend your time, where you’ll live, and your overall health that will impact the quality of your retirement years. With Insureyouknow.org, storing all of your financial information, medical records, and planning documents in one easy-to-review place will help you plan for what can be the best years of your life.
Six Things to Know about SIMPLE IRA
April 30, 2024
Offering a SIMPLE IRA (Savings Incentive Match Plan for Employees) to employees is an effective way for small businesses to offer their employees a retirement plan. At a glance, this plan allows both the employer and employee to make contributions, and there are less reporting requirements and paperwork involved for the small business owner. Besides the ease in which these plans can be established for employees, the main perks are tax incentives for both the employer and the employee. “They are fairly inexpensive to set up and maintain when compared to a conventional retirement plan,” says client advisor at First American Bank Karina Valido. “For employers, contributions are tax-deductible. For participants, contributions and earnings are not taxed until withdrawn.”
Even though the SIMPLE IRA is a straightforward retirement option, here are six things to know about this plan, whether you’re an employer or an employee.
- Employee Contribution Limits in 2024
With a SIMPLE IRA, an employee can, but isn’t obligated to, make salary reduction contributions. In 2024, the maximum amount an employee under the age of 50 can contribute is $16,000. With a SIMPLE IRA, you may also contribute to another retirement plan as long as both contributions don’t exceed the yearly limit. The annual limit for combined SIMPLE IRA and 401(k) contributions in 2024 cannot be more than $23,000 or $30,500 for people who are 50 or older. Since an employer cannot offer both plans, this would only apply to those employees who held a previous account elsewhere.
- Employer Contribution Requirements
Employers must do one of two things: match employee contributions or make nonelective contributions. If an employer chooses to match each employee’s salary reduction contribution, they must do so by up to 3% of their employee’s compensation. While an employer may choose to match less than 3%, they must at least match 1% for no more than two out of five years. If an employer chooses to make nonelective contributions of 2% of the employee’s compensation, they must do so for every employee, regardless of having some employees who are making their own contributions. So if an employer chooses to make nonelective contributions, then they must also match the contributions of those employees who choose to contribute to their own plans.
- SIMPLE IRA Tax Advantages
For employees, salary reduction contributions to their SIMPLE IRA reduces their taxable income and their investments will grow tax-deferred over time. Because it’s a tax-deferred account, you won’t need to pay capital gains taxes when you buy and sell investments within the account. Plus, unlike many other retirement plans, such as a 401(k), employer contributions to a SIMPLE IRA are immediately vested and belong to the employee.
Employers also benefit from tax incentives with the SIMPLE IRA. They can get a tax credit equal to 50% of the startup costs, or up to a maximum of $500 per year, for three years. This credit is in addition to the other tax benefits they will receive from contributing to employee retirement plans.
- All About Withdrawals
During retirement, withdrawals will be taxed as regular income. Before the age of 59 ½, there’s a 10% penalty on withdrawals in addition to the income taxes you would owe. With the SIMPLE IRA, the withdrawal penalty rises to 25% if the money is taken out within two years of the plan being contributed to. Under qualified exemptions, like higher education costs or first home purchases, then you may avoid an early withdrawal fee, but you would still have to pay the taxes.
- Eligibility for SIMPLE IRAs
The Small Business Job Protection Act of 1996 created the SIMPLE IRA. It was designed with small businesses and self-employed individuals in mind and meant to be simple, accessible, and inexpensive. “A SIMPLE IRA is a small-business-sponsored retirement plan that, as the name indicates, is simple to establish and maintain,” explains financial advisor at Marsh McLennan Agency Craig Reid. “Available to U.S. companies with 100 or fewer employees, SIMPLE IRAs are a cost-effective alternative to the mainstream 401(k) plan.”
In order to be eligible for a SIMPLE IRA, an employer must have fewer than 100 employees and have no other retirement plan in place. They must also make contributions each year. For an employee to be eligible, they must receive at least $5,000 in compensation during any two prior years and expect to receive the same during the current year.
- The Difference Between SIMPLE IRA and SEP-IRA
Both a Simplified Employee Pension (SEP-IRA) and a SIMPLE IRA are employer-sponsored retirement plans that offer employees a tax-advantaged way to save for their retirement. Contributions in each grow tax-deferred until they are withdrawn during retirement. They are each designed to be easily established in small businesses, especially when compared to a 401(k).
One key difference between the two plans is that while a SIMPLE IRA allows both the employer and employee to make contributions, the SEP-IRA only allows the employer to contribute. The SEP-IRA, though, does allow higher contributions, which will be limited to $69,000 in 2024, compared to $16,000 in 2024 for the SIMPLE IRA. The other main difference between the two plans is that any employer can offer a SEP-IRA, while only businesses with less than 100 employees qualify for offering the SIMPLE IRA.
If you’re a self-employed individual, a small business owner, or you have recently begun working for a small business that offers you a SIMPLE IRA, it will benefit you to know the upsides of having one and understand the rules around the plan. With Insureyouknow.org, you can store all of your financial information and records in one place so that you may stay organized and allow yourself the best decision-making process in your retirement planning.
2024 Changes that Would Impact Your Retirement Finances
April 1, 2024
Changes to retirement regulations are making 2024 out to be the perfect time to reexamine your retirement planning and make sure you’re getting the most out of your savings.
“The rules are constantly changing,” says director of Personal Retirement Product Management at Bank of America Debra Greenberg. “It’s always a good idea to familiarize yourself with what’s new to see whether it makes sense to take advantage of it.”
Here’s what you should know about several changes to retirement regulations in 2024.
It Pays to Plan for Retirement
While the changes to retirement regulations may seem small, Americans need all the help they can get right now. According to the National Council on Aging, up to 80% of older adults are at risk of dealing with economic insecurity as they age, while half of all Americans report being behind on their retirement savings goals.
“The IRS adjusts many things each year to reflect cost of living and inflation,” says Jackson Hewitt’s chief tax information officer Mark Steber. “It happens each year and taxpayers shouldn’t be alarmed — they might even have a bigger benefit.” Since retirement contributions are pre-tax, saving for retirement actually lowers your taxable income, which may even place you into a lower tax bracket. Plus, you may even be eligible for a tax credit of up to 50% of what you put into your retirement accounts.
Contribution Limits Will Increase
The contribution limits for a traditional or Roth IRA are increasing in 2024. The limit on annual contributions to an IRA will go up to $7,000, up from $6,500 last year.
Individuals will be able to contribute more to their 401(k) and employer-based plans as well. For those who have a 401(k), 403(b), most 457 plans, or the federal government’s Thrift Savings Plan, the contribution limit is increasing to $23,000 in 2024, which is $500 more than last year. Those who are 50 and older, can contribute up to $30,500 into the same accounts.
Starter 401k Plans are Possible
In 2024, employers who don’t sponsor a retirement plan may offer a Starter 401(k) deferral-only arrangement. A starter 401(k) is a simplified employer-sponsored retirement plan with lower saving limits than a standard 401(k). Employers are not allowed to make contributions, and employee auto-enrollment is required. In 2024, the annual contribution limit to this plan will be $6,000. Beginning this year, employees with certain qualifiable emergencies may also make penalty-free withdrawals from their 401(k) of up to $1,000, though they would still have to pay the income tax on those withdrawals.
529 Plans Can Now be Converted Into Roths
For parents who will no longer need their 529 funds for their children, the Secure 2.0 Act will allow for a portion of the 529 to be rolled into a Roth IRA. Beginning January 1st, the funds can either be used for educational expenses or put toward retirement, as a Roth IRA rollover. You may rollover up to $35,000, free of income tax or any tax penalties. The only limitations are that the 529 must have been in place for at least 15 years, and certain states may not allow the rollover.
Changes to Social Security and RMDs
In January, Social Security checks will increase by 3.2% due to the latest COLA, or cost-of-living adjustment. On average, Social Security monthly benefits will increase by $59 a month, from $1,848 to $1,907. Those who receive survivors or spousal benefits will receive even more.
For 2024, the maximum benefit for a worker who claims Social Security at FRA (Full Retirement Age)is $3,822 a month, which is up from $3,627 in 2023. For 2024, the FRA is 66 years and 6 months for those born in 1957 and 66 years and 8 months for those born in 1958. That means that anyone born between July 2, 1957 through May 1, 1958 will reach FRA in 2024.
The IRS uses a calculation based on the amount in your retirement account and your life expectancy to determine the minimum amount you are required to take out each year, known as RMDs (required minimum distributions). Secure 2.0 increased the age for starting RMDs from 72 to 73, effective in 2023. If you are subject to RMDs, then you must make your withdrawal by the end of this year or by April 1st next year if it’s your first year being eligible. So if you turn 73 in 2024, you’ll have until April 1, 2025 to make your first RMD.
Anyone receiving more Social Security but paying Medicare premiums may not feel much of a difference in their increased Social Security benefits since standard Medicare Part B premiums are rising by 6%. As many participants have their Medicare premium deducted right from their Social Security payment, the $9.80 increase will take a portion of the average $59 benefit increase. The annual deductible will also increase this year from $226 to $240.
Insureyouknow.org It will always be important to review your retirement savings every year, but this is becoming even more important to do in the face of rising costs and changing regulations. With Insureyouknow.org, storing all of your financial information in one easy-to-review place can help you ensure that you are still on track to meet your retirement goals at the start of each annual review.
How ChatGPT is Shaping Retirement
October 15, 2023
Chat GPT is an artificial intelligence program that can answer human questions. This chatbot is able to understand human language that is spoken or written and then uses algorithms to process and analyze this information in order to produce answers. For instance, you may ask ChatGPT informative questions such as how climate change is affecting endangered species, but Chat GPT can even be directed to write a poem. When it comes to finances, ChatGPT may even be able to help someone begin their retirement planning.
ChatGPT Provides Content, Not Human Advice
Anyone can ask ChatGPT anything, and they will receive a remarkably well-rounded response. If someone were to ask what their retirement plan should include, the chatbot will provide an outline of the basic elements of a common retirement plan. The problem with this is that ChatGPT won’t know the person asking the question and be able to understand the individual details of their life that would make a difference in their retirement planning.
While Chat GPT may not completely replace the value of a human financial advisor, that doesn’t mean that financial advisors won’t need to change the way in which they advise clients to plan for their retirement. If anyone can get a basic plan through ChatGPT, then the services provided by an advisor need to become more about the one thing ChatGPT can’t provide: the human understanding and emotional side of advice. Despite having spent decades taking the emotion out of financial decisions, financial professionals will have to pivot to provide more humanity than ever.
How AI Can Improve an Advisor’s Abilities
Once upon a time, the internet threatened travel agents everywhere, as people could suddenly book their own plane tickets, hotel rooms, and rental cars themselves, from the comfort of their home computers. But travel agents are alive and well, and that’s because the internet still couldn’t do one thing that an agent could: understand a client’s needs and provide personal advice. Instead of mere transactional planning, personalized insight is the new premiere service that a travel agent can provide, and financial planners can grow to do the same.
While ChatGPT can provide concrete information, it cannot begin to factor in the unique preferences of an individual. True conversation is more than the exchange of information. It involves feelings and the confirmation that the person you’re speaking with understands you. A good financial advisor already understands this. Their job is about more than just offering retirement plans; people need empathy. Financial advisor Patti Brennan says her clients “are looking for someone who isn’t just focused on managing their money; that’s just table stakes. What they really want is to know they’ve got someone they can count on during times of crisis; someone who will be a trusted advocate for their future and quality of life.”
Mitchell Morrison, CEO and founder of Eyeballs Financial, says, “ChatGPT is like building a chassis for the financial plan. Its chief weakness is that the answers you get are only as good as the questions you ask.”
While a machine can provide the building blocks of a good plan, an advisor has the capability to understand the complexities of financial planning and the nuances of a person’s life. Together, ChatGPT and the advice from a professional can be used to formulate a plan that is more well-rounded than if someone just relied on one or the other. Rob Leiphart, a certified financial planner at RB Capital Management, adds that, “ChatGPT lacks one crucial step needed in financial planning and investment management: KYC,” or know your client. “It doesn’t begin by asking questions of its own in order to hone its responses. Instead, it provides generic or basic advice,” he says.
While AI ‘s abilities will evolve, financial advisors will be required to as well. Professionals should view ChatGPT as a tool and reevaluate their role in retirement planning. While clients can be well-versed through the framework that ChatGPT can provide them, financial planners can become educators, coaches, and navigators of their retirement plans.
What AI Can Do For You Now
ChatGPT can do more than provide information on how to begin planning for retirement. It can also be used as a resource to think outside of the box in terms of finances. Here are five ways anyone can use ChatGPT to improve their finances now.
Whether you’re interested in supplementing your income now or during retirement, you can ask ChatGPT, “What are the best side gigs for retirees, in my area, or in my field of work?” AI will provide a list of options ranging from consulting, house sitting, or personal errands.
2. Build a better resume
Perhaps you’d like to make more money in your working years or there are a handful of positions you’ve always wished you could land. ChatGPT can help make your resume stand out by suggesting which skills recruiters are looking for in certain positions.
3. Get your business off the ground
ChatGPT could tell you how much you’ll need to start that business you’ve always dreamed of starting, including what resources you’ll need to get going, projected earnings, and even help with sales copy. Whether you’re selling goods or services, you’ll need good advertising to attract potential clients. ChatGPT can provide you with a better idea of what your business idea will entail and help you to create a detailed plan of action.
4. Get tips for writing a better house listing
Planning to make money for retirement by selling your house or planning to move when you can retire are both common goals. An attractive house listing can help you get the best offer on your current property. Paired with gorgeous pictures of your home, ChatGPT can help you write the listing that will get you the most interest. You could even use ChatGPT to help you buy your home elsewhere by researching the most cost effective places to retire.
5. Find financial planners in your area
Once you’ve decided it’s time to start thinking about your retirement, ChatGPT can provide you with a list of qualified and highly-rated financial advisors in your area. Plus, educating yourself through ChatGPT on common retirement plans before you meet with your advisor will give you an idea of what to discuss at your meeting.
Retirement planning can be overwhelming, but you’ll benefit from using every resource available to you, including ChatGPT. For now ChatGPT is an excellent starting point but shouldn’t be the main resource of your final plan. Insureyouknow.org can help you compile your research, store your financial records, and serve as a valuable place to regularly revisit and fine tune your retirement plan.
What Constitutes a True “Emergency”?
May 28, 2018
You’re a responsible person. You’re saving for retirement. You have a 529 plan set up to help pay for your daughter’s college education. Your car is paid off. You have an adequate amount of life insurance. You’re using InsureYouKnow to make sure your loved ones know how to access your important documents and financial information if needed. And you have six months of living expenses set aside in an emergency fund.
Then the unexpected happens: The alternator goes out in your car. It’s going to cost $400 to replace it.
Where do you find the money to pay for it?
If you answered, “My emergency fund,” you may want to take another look at your definition of “emergency.”
Your emergency fund is money you have socked away in case of a major life event, such as a job loss, divorce, or medical issue. This money would be used to cover your day-to-day expenses and bills if needed.
Washington Post columnist Michelle Singletary advocates the use of a separate fund—the “life happens” fund—for those pesky but somewhat predictable expenses that crop up.
“You’ll withdraw money from this fund to pay for unexpected or major expenses that don’t quite fit the dire straits definition,” Singletary wrote. “Car repairs would come out of this account. Start with trying to save $500, ideally increasing to a few thousand.”
Whether you call it the “life happens” fund, the “just in case” fund, or some other term, this fund is for those immediate expenses that aren’t quite catastrophic. These are expenses that result from situations that people often treat as emergencies but that in reality are expected, if irregular, like a broken appliance.
In an ideal world, you’d never touch your emergency fund. You wouldn’t lose your job. You wouldn’t get diagnosed with a major medical condition. You would have a regular, steady income with no major disruptive events in your life. For many people, this is indeed the case. That money sits in an easily accessible savings account where it earns minimal interest but supplies maximum peace of mind.
But even in an ideal world, you’re probably going to tap into your life happens fund fairly regularly. Even the most budget-obsessed person can’t predict every expense that may appear, such as the following:
- A storm blows through, knocking large tree branches onto the roof of your house that have to be sawed apart and hauled away.
- Your dog swallows a tennis ball and needs emergency surgery to remove it.
- Your toddler climbs onto the dishwasher door one too many times and it finally breaks.
- Your aunt dies and you need to fly out for the funeral.
In many of these situations, life is already stressful enough without you needing to scramble to come up with money for the resulting expenses. And you don’t want to tap into your emergency fund because that’s money you never want to touch. The life happens fund is the perfect compromise. Like an emergency fund, it’s kept in a savings account where it’s accessible on a moment’s notice. But unlike an emergency fund, taking money out of it won’t potentially result in your water getting shut off when you suddenly find yourself without an income.
Keep in mind that because you do need to access this fund somewhat regularly, it’s important to replace any money you take out as soon as possible. After all, life happens—and you never know when the next storm is going to pass through town.
Rеtіrеmеnt Plаnnіng
August 31, 2016
Plаnnіng fоr уоur rеtіrеmеnt іѕ nо ѕmаll tаѕk. It rеԛuіrеѕ thаt уоu knоw hоw muсh mоnеу уоu wіll hаvе ѕаvеd uр, аnd hоw muсh уоu wіll nееd реr уеаr fоr еасh уеаr аftеr уоur rеtіrеmеnt. Bоth оf these fасtоrѕ аrе whаt mаkе rеtіrеmеnt fіnаnсіаl рlаnnіng ѕо dіffісult, ѕіnсе уоu hаvе tо kеер trасk оf уоur rеtіrеmеnt ѕаvіngѕ ассоuntѕ аnd іnvеѕtmеntѕ, аѕ wеll аѕ уоur ѕtаndаrd оf lіvіng аnd thе аmоunt іt соѕtѕ tо kеер іt uр.
Thе 403b retirement рlаn іѕ аvаіlаblе tо US rеѕіdеntѕ wоrkіng іn ѕресіfіс ѕесtоrѕ, аnd оffеrѕ аn аttrасtіvе аltеrnаtіvе tо thе uѕuаl 401k. Emрlоуееѕ whо аrе еlіgіblе fоr thе 403b wоrk іn оrgаnіzаtіоnѕ thаt аrе tаx еxеmрt, рublіс ѕсhооlѕ, оr аrе ѕеlf-еmрlоуеd аѕ a rеlіgіоuѕ mіnіѕtеr. Thеrе аrе bеnеfіtѕ fоr bоth thе еmрlоуее аnd thе еmрlоуеr іn сhооѕіng a 403b.
Mаnу соmраnіеѕ uѕе thеіr 403b рlаnѕ tо аttrасt аnd rеtаіn thе bеѕt саndіdаtеѕ fоr еmрlоуmеnt. Onе rеаѕоn whу еmрlоуееѕ bеnеfіt frоm thе 403b іѕ thаt іt hаѕ аn еxсеllеnt mаtсhіng рlаn. Thеrе іѕ аlѕо nо nееd fоr еіthеr thе соmраnу оr thе еmрlоуее tо рау tаx оn соntrіbutіоnѕ thаt аrе gоіng іntо a 403b. Thе recipient оnlу hаѕ tо ѕtаrt рауіng tаx whеn thеу bеgіn tо wіthdrаw fundѕ.
Thеrе is a mаxіmum аmоunt, whісh саn bе раіd іn thаt іѕ ѕеt fоr еvеrу уеаr, аnd employees wіll оnlу rесеіvе thіѕ mаxіmum іf thе соmраnу іѕ dоіng wеll.
It іѕ аlѕо роѕѕіblе tо tаkе оut a lоаn аgаіnѕt thе ассumulаtеd fundѕ іn a 403b, whісh саn bе uѕеful іn аn еmеrgеnсу. Tаkіng оut tуре оf lоаn аnd mаkіng rерауmеntѕ tо іt wіll hаvе tаx соnѕеԛuеnсеѕ, hоwеvеr.
If thе еmрlоуее wіѕhеѕ tо wіthdrаw fundѕ frоm thе 403b bеfоrе thеу hаvе rеасhеd thе еxресtеd аgе оf 59.5 уеаrѕ, thеrе wіll bе fіnаnсіаl реnаltіеѕ. Onсе thе rесіріеnt іѕ оvеr thе аgе lіmіt thеу wіll оnlу bе сhаrgеd tаx fоr thе аmоunt thаt іѕ tаkеn оut, but younger реорlе wіll аlѕо hаvе tо рау аn аddіtіоnаl реnаltу оf 10%.
Pеорlе whо оwn оvеr 5% оf thе соmраnу thаt thеу аrе wоrkіng fоr аrе ѕubjесt tо аddіtіоnаl rulеѕ. Thіѕ іѕ іn оrdеr tо рrеvеnt thе wеаlthіеѕt mеmbеrѕ оf ѕосіеtу frоm uѕіng thе 403b tо ассumulаtе vаѕt аmоuntѕ оf tаx-frее ѕаvіngѕ.
Onсе thе еmрlоуее іѕ оf rеtіrеmеnt аgе thе аmоunt thеу hаvе ѕаvеd іn thе 403b wіll bе dіѕtrіbutеd ассоrdіng tо hоw muсh thеу hаvе ѕаvеd аnd thеіr еѕtіmаtеd lіfе еxресtаnсу. Thіѕ аіdѕ іn dіѕtrіbutіng thе fund in a fаіr mаnnеr. However, іf уоu dо nоt tаkе аt lеаѕt thе mіnіmum рауmеnt аvаіlаblе, уоu wіll bе сhаrgеd tаx оn your 403b ѕаvіngѕ аt a vеrу hіgh rаtе.
Emрlоуееѕ whо аrе еlіgіblе fоr a 403b ѕhоuld tаkе thе tіmе tо mаkе ѕurе thеу undеrѕtаnd bоth thе ѕаvіngѕ thеу саn mаkе оn tаx whіlе thе funds аrе bеіng buіlt uр, аnd thе іntеrеѕt, саріtаl gаіnѕ аnd dіvіdеndѕ thеу саn rесеіvе frоm thе рlаn.
Retirement Planning Tool
August 13, 2016
Planning for retirement? Here’s what you need to know
When it comes to planning for retirement, most people recognize the importance of saving as early as possible but a majority of them do not get started for one reason or the other. Some just don’t have the right mindset for saving while others simply do not have the right knowledge on how to handle their financial planning for a happy retirement.
To address this, we have put together this guide that will help get your investment and retirement planning in order by taking advantage of financial resources and tools such as retirement planning calculator, stock calculator online and investment calculator online.
Let’s get started.
Pay off the expensive debt first
The best thing you can do to maximize your retirement savings is to pay off your debts especially the ones with high interest. This includes credit card debt and car loans which can be toxic for your finances. No matter how much you can possibly regain through savings and investing, this debt will always come out as a net negative for you. So, pay off your expensive credit card debts and car loan first if you really want to supercharge your retirement savings.
Have an emergency fund
A surefire way to put a dent in your savings plan is by not having an emergency fund in place. By doing this, you put yourself at the risk of turning to high-interest credit card debt when an emergency arises which, as mentioned earlier, is something you really don’t want to do. As a general rule of thumb, it is advisable to have at least three to six months’ worth of living expenses in your emergency fund. That way you won’t need to resort to expensive credit card loans in a time of crisis.
Make full use of employer match
If your job comes with a paid-for employer match for your 401k account, take full advantage of it by using it to full capacity. Let’s assume that your employer matches 50 cents for every $1 that you invest, up to a limit of 6 percent of salary meaning that if you invest the full 6 percent of your salary, the employer will invest an additional 3 percent.
In total, you will be putting a healthy 9 percent of your salary towards your retirement. You can use our Retirement Planning Tool to obtain a projection of how maximizing your 401k savings account can affect your retirement plan.
Make and follow a budget
Knowing all your expenses whether big or small and then adjusting them according to your income is a no-brainer if you really want to retire with financial freedom. This can be achieved by budgeting your finances and keeping a track of all your regular expenses and bills. When you know that you need to set aside a specific amount for these expenses each month, you are more likely to make room for savings.
One way to optimize your budget for retirement savings is to categorize your savings as a recurring monthly ‘expense’ rather than literal ‘savings’. You can do this by opening a separate savings account that automatically takes money from your main salary or business account ensuring that laziness or excessive spending doesn’t get the better of you.
Have a solid Financial Plan
While saving money is important, knowing where to invest the money you save for maximum returns is even more important. The process starts with figuring out your existing savings and knowing how much money you’ll need once you retire.
As a general rule, you should plan to have 80 percent of your current annual income in retirement. Adjust this amount with any projected retirement income such as pension or social security and you will get the exact amount you’ll need per year in retirement.
Next is to have a balanced asset allocation strategy and invest your money so that it continues to grow before and after retirement. The best way to achieve this is to diversify your assets in different avenues such as stocks, bonds, commodities and emerging market equities. This protects your investment against any potential volatility in the markets and helps you come out on top in the long run.
Use our online investment calculator to find out the approximate rate of return on your investments by testing a variety of asset allocation scenarios.
Revise your asset allocation over time
With time, your financial situation changes and as you edge closer to retirement you would want to have more easily accessible income. This can be achieved by tweaking your asset allocation as your needs change.
If you have started saving at a young age and don’t have a family to support for the initial few years of your career, it would be wise to keep a majority of your portfolio in growth assets with maximum return. As you grow older, you can move more of your assets to fixed income options such as bonds and high dividend stocks.
Having said that, by no means you should move all your investment away from growth assets as you want your money to do the work for you even after you retire.
Use our online stock calculator and online investment calculator if you need to figure out your ideal asset allocation based on your individual situation, preferences, and retirement goals.
Make use of tax-advantaged retirement accounts
When saving for retirement, one way to fast-track your progress is to make good use of special retirement accounts that are given a tax break from the government. These include 401(k), traditional IRA and Roth accounts allow of which allow you to contribute up to $5000 per year.
With these accounts, you have the option to take out contributions and earnings without paying any tax during retirement. In some cases, you have the option to pay income tax upfront and avoid capital gains and interest taxes in the future. In short, a 401(k), 403(b) and an IRA are all fantastic retirement account options.
Conclusion
To sum it up, starting out as early as possible, using the right retirement planning tools and some careful planning can go a long way towards comfortable retirement. Here at Insure You Know, we understand this fully which has led us to build powerful stock calculator and investment calculator that you can use online to plan your retirement.
InsureYouKnow
August 9, 2016
A New Website App Can Save Users Thousands of Dollars By Simply Keeping Track of Unknown Life Insurance Policies
AUSTIN, Texas, Aug. 4, 2016 – InsureYouKnow.org makes sure beneficiaries do not get separated from benefits by simply not knowing about existing policies.
Insure You Know dot Org’s APP creates a powerful tool to help stop billions of dollars of life insurance policy benefits from going unpaid. Major news outlets report that
courts recently forced 25 of the nation’s biggest life insurance companies to pay more than $7.5 billion in back death benefits. InsureYouKnow.Org stores and updates life’s critical information, saving a person days, weeks, months and possibly years of chasing down information like insurance policies, banking and retirement account information.
Founder Gerry Acuna, referring to a recent 60 Minutes investigation, says, “Audits of some well-known life insurance companies reveal that many beneficiaries go unpaid simply because beneficiaries are not aware of the policies. And because of this, the life insurance company does not have to pay if they are not notified by the beneficiary – we’re talking about billions of dollars in unpaid benefits.”
InsureYouKnow.Org can also record Deeds, Last Will and Testaments, Employment Contracts, Medical/Health Information, Pre-Nuptial Agreements and that’s just for starters. At your discretion, InsureYouKnow.Org will securely share some, or all, of this information with those you choose to share it with. You tell us which loved ones, family members, caretakers, or legal representatives to share your information with. We then send those you designated a monthly notice that helps you and them stay informed.
InsureYouKnow.Orgs’ encrypted site provides a safe and secure place for storing all of your critical time sensitive information that can assist your family, friends, caretakers or executor in meeting your needs at a critical moment.
InsureYouKnow.Org does not ask for your Social Security Number nor does it need complete account numbers. Any Documents you upload (such as Driver’s License, Passport, Last Will and Testament, Pre-Nuptial Agreement, Deeds, etc.) are password encrypted and the password is not known to the site. Only you, or someone you share your password with, can gain access.
Some additional InsureYouKnow.Org features are the ability to help our users locate the least expensive prescription drug prices and medical procedures in their area. The site can also provide a daily financial portfolio update to help you keep your retirement goals on track.
Media Contact:
Gerry Acuna
512-694-0667