The concept of retirement may be new to you, but it’s probably not new to your bank account. That’s because retirement is one of the biggest financial events you’ll ever experience. Between fluctuating stock prices, inflation, and taxes, the cost of living tends to increase more frequently than the decrease in our current society.
This means that even if you retire at an early age with a small pension and modest savings, it still won’t be easy financially throughout retirement. However, there are several actions you can take as well as some other factors to keep in mind to maintain your financial health in retirement.
We bring you 5 tips for maintaining financial health after retirement.
1) Diversify Your Investments
It’s important to diversify your investments with a large portion going towards volatile investments like stocks and real estate. Otherwise, you run the risk of losing all of your money because of a single investment going bad. By diversifying your investments you can also lower your risk of ending up with a high amount of money in a single investment that could go bad.
2) Pay Yourself First
One of the best ways to ensure that you’re saving enough for retirement is to contribute as much as possible to your retirement savings. The best way to do this is by taking a portion of every paycheck and putting it into your retirement savings account. This way, you’re not only saving for retirement but also receiving a regular paycheck throughout the year.
By making extra contributions to your retirement savings, you greatly increase the amount of money that’s being saved for your future. If you can’t afford to save a large amount of money today, you’ll have to wait until you’re in a significantly higher tax bracket. By paying yourself first, you’re increasing your annual retirement savings and getting a regular paycheck.
3) Set Up A Sticking-Place Fund
Another way to ensure that you’re saving an appropriate amount for retirement is to set up a “sticking-place fund”. With this fund, you’re essentially committing yourself to the idea that you’re going to be spending a percentage of your savings.
The fund is essentially a portion of your retirement savings that are dedicated to paying off your current debt. A common example of this is a mortgage. If you have a mortgage with a certain amount of interest that you want to pay off in full, you can use a portion of your retirement savings to pay off the mortgage. This essentially creates a buffer for you in the form of a “sticky fund”. This way, you know that you have a portion of your retirement savings that are dedicated to paying off your current debt.
4) Save As Much As You Can
Before you even start saving for retirement, it’s important to make sure that you’re not spending more than you’re earning. This is especially important if you’re trying to increase your savings rate as quickly as possible.
By making sure that you’re not spending more than you’re earning, you’re essentially increasing the amount that’s being saved in your monthly budget. This is especially important if you’re approaching retirement at an early age and won’t be receiving a large pension or another type of large government contribution.
At the same time, you don’t want to come into retirement with a low savings rate. If you don’t have enough money saved up for retirement, you’ll have to work significantly longer and/or receive a significantly lower amount of social security.
5) Stay Current On Required Reports And Deductions
One of the best ways to ensure that your finances are kept in good shape throughout retirement is to stay current with your required reports and deductions. This is important because it gives you an idea of where your current financial condition is and what you need to do to get back on track.
A good example of this is a required account statement from your bank. This is essentially a report that shows you a record of every single transaction that has taken place with your account. This report will show you how much money has been withdrawn from your savings account, any fees that have been charged, and the number of withdrawals that have been made.
This report gives you important information on exactly where your finances currently stand without requiring you to do anything. A good rule of thumb is to make sure that your monthly budget includes a certain amount dedicated to your monthly expenses and a certain amount dedicated to your monthly retirement contributions.