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It's common for people who are retiring to set their retirement date in either the springtime or the early summer. If you happen to be one of those lucky folks who are going to retire next year, then "Congratulations!"
But before you start planning your retirement party, make sure you do these four things if you're retiring next year.
Investing during market volatility can be like driving through a winter storm. Your best plan of action is to focus on what you can control and keep progressing towards your destination.
As the markets have continued to adjust to rising interest rates and inflation, you might think of your financial plan as a GPS system that you can rely on to keep you on track even when it's tough to see the path forward.
Here are five aspects of your financial plan that we recommend focusing on as we wait for this storm to pass … and prepare to weather the next one.
As summer heats up, it pays to take a good look at how flexible you are. When you plan for the future, you need to be adaptable. No one knows what tomorrow holds.
This is certainly true in the world of work. In just over a month from now we will celebrate Labor Day. In 1894 President Grover Cleveland signed Labor Day into law as a federal holiday to placate unions, following a bloody and tumultuous strike at the Pullman Co., which made railcars. Today, the break on the first Monday of September is less about labor and more about recreation, cookouts, and the mental end of summer.
To some, labor merely is about a job or the lack thereof. For others, the concept of labor transcends a job. It’s about a career, economic stability for self and family, satisfaction, fulfillment, success, and a sense of mission – a calling. Consider a young person attempting to think about a future of work that may span 50 to 60 years or more. How does one grasp a fast-changing world to formulate a job or career strategy, and an investment strategy to accumulate capital needed to fund their secure future?
Have you ever participated in one of those “future think” company planning sessions? You know, the one that asks where you want the company to be 5, 10, and 15 years from now?
A senior executive of a firm recalled the effort to formulate a five-year plan when he was in top management at a Fortune 500 company. When the plan was completed, the chief executive officer told her team, “If we execute this plan exactly as we have laid it out, in five years we will be out of business.”
Having deflated the egos of those who labored to produce a creative plan, she explained that the world and marketplace in five years would be totally different. If they did not change the plan as they went along, they would be left behind, becoming obsolete and less profitable.
We see examples in the stories of:
Microsoft, one of the glowing success stories of the last century, now competing with Apple and Google. Personal computer sales, the historical mainstay of Microsoft, have been eroding for years as users switch to smartphones and tablets. But Microsoft has adapted.
Canada’s Research in Motion was a global leader in wireless innovation, having revolutionized the mobile phone industry with the introduction of the BlackBerry in 1999. The company found itself on the ropes as the iPhone became the “must have.” Blackberry users went dark on January 2, 2022.
Sears for years was an appliance sales leader with its Kenmore brand. For a myriad of reasons, Home Depot, Lowe’s and a host of other competitors cut into Sears’ profits. In 2018, Sears filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and as recently as May 2022, announced the closing of about 100 stores. This store-closing-wave leaves about 750 Sears stores remaining – down from approximately 3,500 at its peak.
The message? Flexibility counts. Anticipating change counts, with Plan B or even C at the ready. A plan, whether a career plan, a financial plan, or a life transitions plan is a road map. Every road is subject to disruption, detours, potential dead ends and rabbit trails.
Yes, you want a concept of where you will be in one, five, ten years and beyond. But any plan must be dynamic, fluid, and adaptable. You cannot set it and forget it.
Every money manager has a turnover ratio, the average percentange of stocks sold every year. Stock buys may disappoint and underperform. Other stocks may reach a targeted sell point and be sold in favor of a better bargain.
Asset classes may underperform or outperform in the short run and then change direction. Assumptions may appear wrong near term, and turn out to be sound in the long run. Diversification is important, as crystal balls are fallible.
Everyone, whether a breadwinner, a stay-at-home parent, a retiree or an investor, should have a contingency plan to deal with personal setbacks, career reverses and market disruptions because stuff happens. Change is the only constant. Well, death and taxes are also. Have you reviewed your “what if?” plans lately?
Labor Day will signal that the fourth quarter is less than a month away. Have you reviewed next year’s tax strategy? Christmas and holiday promotions will be here before we know it. Have you started planning for next year?
Make your summer …and life plan flexible.
Most married couples take a “divide and conquer” approach to household tasks and chores. One spouse might handle weekly shopping, the other might handle garbage and recycling. One spouse might handle laundry and cleaning, the other might handle yardwork and maintenance. One spouse might drive the kids to school, the other might handle pickup and extracurricular activities.
But household spending and budgeting is one of those responsibilities that’s best tackled together. Money issues are one of the biggest sources of marital tension, and a leading factor in divorces. Here are five ways that you and your spouse can make sure you agree on your household spending, avoid surprises, and maximize the Return on Life ™ your money provides.
Many couples assume their attitudes about money are aligned. Then one day the roof needs an emergency repair that taps a savings account, or someone walks in the door with an unexpected splurge purchase (or worse yet, hides it!).
Stressful situations are not the ideal time for a couple to discover significant differences in spending habits. Sit down with your spouse and have a thorough review of your finances and your monthly budget. Find compromises that will allow you to save for the future while still enjoying your present.
In many households one spouse often handles all of the bill payments. This can lead to misunderstandings and arguments about where the money goes every month.
Both spouses should understand how much the household spends every month and how your bills get paid. If you’re the one who’s usually in charge of bills, take an hour to walk your spouse through your process. Show him or her which bills are paid electronically, which are paid by check, the monthly amounts, due dates, etc. This won’t just help both spouses understand the monthly cash flow, it will ensure that both spouses can handle household finances in the event of an emergency.
Newly married couples might still have banking or credit accounts that are only in the original account holder’s name. The other spouse might not find out about these accounts until a credit card is maxed out, or a checking account is overdrawn.
Again, the less stressful your reason for talking to your spouse, the more positive the outcome will be. Financial secrets tend to come out at the worst times, compounding stress, hurt feelings, and strain on your budget.
Your spouse should be a cosigner and beneficiary on all of your accounts and vice-versa. If one of those accounts carries a large liability, get out in front of the problem and talk about how to start paying it down. Discuss the ramifications of combining any large individual assets with a tax professional or your financial advisor.
If one spouse is responsible for budgeting and bill pay, that person often becomes The One Who Has to Say “No.” No eating out this week. No weekend trip to the waterpark. No new cell phones. No new clothes.
No fun!
Nobody likes being in that position, especially if you’re saying “No” to your children. Eventually, you or your spouse will resent being The One Who Has to Say “No.” You should both understand the household’s monthly cash flow and agree on how your money is – and isn’t – spent.
WFP clients have access to a tool within our financial planning software that help households set and maintain a budget. If you’re a small business owner, Intuit offers a line of bookkeeping and tax prep solutions to fit any needs. Automating select bill payments and regular contributions to retirement and savings accounts can also help to clarify your monthly budgeting picture.
Finally, if there’s a spending gap between you and your spouse that seems impossible to bridge, we can be an excellent resource. It’s important to us that we understand where clients’ attitudes about money come from, how they’ve developed, and how they can diverge between couples. Facilitating this dialogue is key to making sure both people have the best life possible with the money they have…and we can help you do that.
The housing market has been frustrating for buyers and a boon for sellers, but there are signs that those frustrations might be easing – depending on where you live.
Would-be buyers have struggled with historically low inventories, crazy bidding wars and now have to add rising mortgage rates to their worry list. Sellers on the other hand have been rejoicing as average housing prices continue to increase month-over-month and year-over-year, with average home prices jumping 15% in the last 12 months.
But sellers also face a dilemma: where do they go if they do in fact sell? And while there are signs that 2022 might see some cooling off, there are also signs that the relief will be too little – and maybe not at all in certain markets.
The last couple of years have been filled with uncertainty and many people have been concerned about their future. This often leads to a feeling of stasis when it comes to how we think about our money. But improving Return on Life isn't something that happens in an undefined future. ROL is an ongoing process that allows you to balance in-the-moment enjoyment with your family's long-term security.
Here are three ways that you can leverage your financial plan to find your balance and start enjoying your money more.
Old-fashioned financial planning puts a heavy emphasis on saving and investment goals you need to hit on your way to retirement. Folks who follow this model are often extremely focused on "hitting a number" above all other financial considerations. Often that means living more frugally and working longer than they really need to.
A healthier approach might be to pay yourself first by making automatic monthly contributions into your retirement accounts, budgeting for the month's expenses ... and then having a little fun! Yes, a solid financial plan includes setting some limits and monitoring your progress. But within those boundaries you should still have room to replace your old car, build that backyard swimming pool, or take a family vacation you've been putting off for too long.
One of the golden rules of financial planning is: "Plan for what you know is coming and prepare for the unexpected."
To that end, we often advise our clients to create a special savings reserve, ideally in a separate bank account. These are the funds that you will rely on if you or your spouse suffer an unexpected job loss, or if you have a sudden medical emergency, or if your home needs a repair that insurance doesn't cover.
Sometimes these funds are called "emergency buckets," but there could be more positive situations where you'll appreciate having this reserve. For example, perhaps you need a little extra support as you transition to a new career. Or maybe you use reserve funds when you retire early and need to pay health care premiums before you're eligible for Medicare at age 65.
Your reserves should be able to cover 3 - 6 months of your living expenses. Setting a long-term goal and filling that bucket with a comfortable cushion can provide real peace of mind, especially once you retire.
If you have the resources to improve your Return on Life now but you don't feel free to enjoy yourself more, you might need to reassess your relationship to your money.
One question we often discuss with our clients is, "What is your money really for?" The ultimate purpose of money isn't to keep earning more of it. Your money is supposed to be a vehicle that takes you from where you are right now to where you want to be. And, hopefully, along the way, you use your money to take some pitstops where you can enjoy the sites, the people, and the activities that make your life worthwhile. Too many people who wait for "the right time" to enjoy the rewards of a lifetime of hard work find that "the right time" never comes.
Are you having trouble connecting your time and your money to your top priorities? The $Lifeline tool can help you prepare for upcoming transitions. Schedule a call and let's start planning to make every stage of your life as fulfilling as possible.
Too often during uncertain times, we inadvertently compare ourselves to the people around us – and that leads us to make financial mistakes. In his book Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions, Dan Ariely remarks, “We don’t have an internal value meter that tells us how much things are worth. Rather, we focus on the relative advantage of one thing over another, and estimate value accordingly.”
Will you make a New Year’s resolution this year? One of the smartest resolutions might be getting your finances in order. But as we all know keeping that promise to ourselves is another matter.
A lot of people make money resolutions. According numerous studies, the most popular resolution every year is to lose weight, followed by getting organized, and saving more money. It’s good to see that a financial-related resolution is in the top three.
Here is framework for making your New Year’s resolution stick.
Roth Individual Retirement Accounts (IRA) are attractive investment accounts because of the tax-free income that they provide with qualified withdrawals. However, many higher-income earners are not eligible to contribute to a Roth IRA.
Fortunately, there is a strategy to navigate around this – often referred to as the "Backdoor Roth IRA". The process involves opening a traditional IRA, making your desired contribution - up to the annual maximum amount, and then later convert the funds to a Roth IRA…
Use money to enhance your life and the lives of those around you
Money matters are complex and even scary. How you choose to approach finances mentally is key to mastering them.
Financial advisors call this “money mindfulness.” And it’s a mentality that can be worked on while we’re following the current “stay-at-home” orders of our local and federal government.
It is difficult to deal with your finances on your own because the technical aspects can be bewildering. Investment options, taxes, interest rates and securities transactions in general are overwhelming for folks outside of the finance industry. Few of us understand the math necessary to handle our own money, even at a minimal level.
Plus, there’s a real element of danger about finances. Nearly everyone has been ripped off at some point. Many of us are wary of trusting anyone, even family members, with our money.
It Start with Our Behavior…
