Impact Of Inflation On The Cost Of Goods And Services
When saving for retirement, keep in mind that goods and services will cost more in the future. You can predict how much more goods and services may cost by looking at rates of inflation in past years.
Figure 1: How much a $100 item increases in cost over time because of inflation
Year | |
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2016 | $129.92 |
Bank of Canada Inflation Calculator. The average rate of inflation in Canada between the year 2000 and 2014 was 2.00%.
How Much Should I Save For My Pension
For those planning for retirement in an ideal world they should be saving as much as possible and therefore a better question to ask yourself is how much can I afford to put towards my pension fund each month?
Generally, by the time you reach retirement your mortgage will be paid and your children will have moved out of home. However, there are other expenses that will still have to be paid. If, for example, you haven’t bought your own home, then rent will still need to be paid. Any health insurance scheme you had through your employer will cease when you stop working. Equally, now that you have more time to do the things you like to do, you will need to have enough money to fund your lifestyle in retirement.
If relying on the State pension, a person must be 66 years of age in order to qualify**. Therefore, if you are planning on surviving on the State pension alone, early retirement is not an option. It is also important to note that the age of State retirement is set to increase over the next few decades. By 2021, the retirement age will be 67 and by 2028 it will be 68 years of age.
So if you are planning on retiring in your 50s or early 60s, you will need a substantial pension pot to sustain you over the next 20-30 years.
Planning for retirement is an important step to take, and it’s never too soon or too late to start planning your pension which will help you to have the lifestyle and financial stability you desire in your retirement.
Tips For Planning Your Retirement
- A financial advisor can help you develop a savings and investment strategy to help you get ready for retirement. Finding a qualified financial advisor doesnt have to be hard. SmartAssets free tool matches you with up to three financial advisors who serve your area, and you can interview your advisor matches at no cost to decide which one is right for you. If youre ready to find an advisor who can help you achieve your financial goals, get started now.
- Use calculators to your advantage. A retirement calculator and Social Security calculator to estimate how much money youll need and what youll have coming in for retirement. Update the numbers whenever you experience a major life change that can affect your finances, such as getting married, having a child or changing jobs.
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Social Security Kicks In
At some point, Social Security will kick in. For anyone born in 1960 or later, the normal retirement agethe age at which you are entitled to full Social Security benefitsis 67. You can start taking benefits as early as age 62, but your monthly benefit will be reduced by about 30%. The longer you wait to start, the more youll receive each month. You can delay your retirement benefits until age 70 for an even larger monthly benefit.
The average Social Security monthly retirement benefit is $1,618.29.
If you can stretch your $500K in savings until then, your Social Security benefits will kick in and provide a welcome monthly cash infusion. Be sure, by the way, that you have worked enough quarters to qualify for Social Security.
If you invest at an average return of 7% per year , your money will double every ten years. Therefore, if you have $500,000 at age 45, you can have $2 million at age 65 if you leave it alone. Why not work longer so you can enjoy life more? If you are going to live for 40 years or so you might get awfully bored if you are not gainfully employed. And if you are living off savings that must last 45 years, your lifestyle will never get more opulent, says John R. Frye, CFA, and Senior Advisor at Carnegie Investment Counsel in Los Angeles, California.
Where Do You Stand So Far

As shown below, only 26% of people in their 60s have over $500,000 set aside for retirement. You can see the average retirement savings ranges at different ages, but everybodys situation is unique.
Average Retirement Savings at Age 65
Avg. | |
---|---|
517,085 | 289,736 |
Reminder: The median is the middle of all answers from biggest to smallest. Data source: Hou .
Example: Assume you want to retire on $500k of assets in your IRA, 401, and taxable accounts. You want to spend roughly $52,000 per year. Your Social Security benefits amount to $24,000 per year, and you have an additional pension of $6,000 per year.
Subtotal: You have $30,000 of income per year, and you need an additional $22,000.
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What About Income Taxes During Retirement
Its crucial to estimate taxes for a detailed retirement plan. Expect to pay income tax when you withdraw those funds if your money is in a pre-tax retirement account such as an IRA, 401, 403, or 457. Additional tax penalties may apply if youre younger than age 59 1/2 when you take withdrawals, but there are some exceptions.
Fortunately, taxes might not be a substantial burden if youre planning to retire with $300,000.
Consider Other Sources Of Income While Retired
There are multiple savings vehicles and income streams to consider for retirement. These can affect how much you need to save today, depending on which sources of income are available to you.
Social Security benefits are offered to retirees aged 62 or older , who have earned enough credits throughout their career in order to qualify for the program. This can provide a steady income stream in retirement. For example, someone born in 1970 who earns $60,000 per year can retire at age 67 with $1,999.00 in monthly Social Security benefits. That’s nearly $24,000 per year that your retirement savings will not need to cover.
A pension plan can also provide you with a steady, monthly income stream. If your employer has one, you’ll need to ask if you qualify, how much income this will offer, and what the pension requirements are.
Annuities are another retirement income source to consider. They’re offered by insurance companies and act as a long-term investment vehicle. After purchasing an annuity either with a lump sum or periodic purchase payments you will receive regular payments over the course of your retirement.
There are other plans and investment options available, but these five are the most common among retirees.
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Is Retiring On $300000 Realistic
Having $300,000 at retirement might allow a couple to spend $48,000 per year in our example, or about $37,000 after healthcare expenses, but that might not be enough for you. It depends on where you live, your healthcare expenses , and other factors.
Moving to a less expensive areaeven a less expensive countryis one strategy to make your income go further. Rural areas in the U.S. tend to have lower costs of living than large metropolitan cities and the suburbs surrounding them.
How To Make More Money With Your Pension
Well, now that youve an idea of the figures involved you need to make sure that your pension is set up to succeed.
The structure of your pension fund is critically important.
Most people who have their money with Irish banks, tied agents and other advisors arent set up to succeed.
Thats because they have a limited array of choice and are investing into contracts with very expensive charges.
Its the equivalent of owning a 4 speed car with a leaking petrol tank.
The best pension plans in Ireland are made of the highest quality components in a low cost structure.
At The Pension Store, we can get you the best of everything by
Its important to do everything you can to maximise your retirement fund and if you want some further reading then there are some valuable tips contained in the article 7 Reasons Why Your Pension Fund Isnt as Big as it Should Be
Book a complimentary consultation directly into my calendar as a company director, self employed professional or company employee and well take it from there.
Kevin
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Impact Of Inflation On Pensions And Savings
The amount you get from public pensions, like the Old Age Security pension and Canada Pension Plan, is protected against inflation. This means as the cost of living goes up, the value of your benefit goes up as well.
Not all employer pensions are protected against inflation. Ask your pension administrator or employer whether your pension is protected against inflation.
Personal savings and investments, such as mutual funds or guaranteed investment certificates , are usually not directly protected against inflation. Your savings need to grow by at least the rate of inflation. If not, the amount of things your savings can buy in the future will be less than what they can buy now.
For example, something bought for $100 in 2002 would cost $129.92 in 2016. If your income isn’t protected against inflation, you may have a hard time maintaining your lifestyle in retirement as the cost of goods and services increases.
You Might Not Need Millions After All
Chip Stapleton is a Series 7 and Series 66 license holder, passed the CFA Level 1 exam, and is a CFA Level 2 candidate. He, and holds a life, accident, and health insurance license in Indiana. He has eights years’ experience in finance, from financial planning and wealth management to corporate finance and FP& A.
You might hear big numbers like $2 million if you explore how much money you need to retire. But do you really need that much? Can you get by on something substantially less than that and still live comfortably?
The answer may be “Yes” for some people, but the real question is whether you have the financial resources to support your level of spending for the rest of your life. To figure that out, you have to know how much income a couple might expect with $300,000 in a retirement account.
The example below might not match your situation perfectly, but you can apply the same concepts and calculations to help figure out your retirement plan.
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Why Use Annuities For Retirement
Annuities are the only retirement plan in the United States that provides a guaranteed income for a lifetime, even if the plan runs out of money. As a result, the annuity is a money management tool in retirement, taking all the guesswork in budgeting your day-to-day expenses. By utilizing this financial plan, a retiree will never have to worry about running out of money.
Know The General Rules Of Thumb When Planning For Retirement

While everyone’s situation and needs will be different, there are a few primary rules of thumb that most financial advisors follow, which you should consider when determining how much to save for retirement.
Retirement income as a percentage of pre-retirement income
Many financial professionals recommend that you account for between 70% and 80% of your pre-retirement income each year in retirement. This means that if you currently earn $60,000 per year, you should plan to spend between $42,000 to $48,000 annually once you retire.
This isn’t a set rule for everyone, and you may need to even account for more savings. “Many people need to have income streams cover 80%, 90%, or even 100% of their pre-retirement budget,” Ludwick says.It all depends on your specific expenses now and in retirement.
Saving 15% of your earnings every year
If you start saving for retirement early enough, an annual savings rate of 15% may be sufficient to meet your goals. If you’re off to a late start, you may need to save a lot more each year in order to catch up.
“As you get older, the amount needed for savings to reach the same end goal roughly doubles every 10 years,” says Tolen Teigen, chief investment officer for FinDec, a national financial advisory firm located in California. “So, if someone waits ten years to start saving, instead of 30, they are now 40. Instead of 8% to 10% annually, they are now looking at 16% to 20% saved to reach the same end number.”
The 4% rule
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Is It Possible To Retire At 45 With $500000
If youre like many adults, the thought of taking early retirement has probably crossed your mind at least once or twice. For most of us, its simply not an option as the financial ramifications are complicated .
Still, we sometimes hear about friends, family members or complete strangers who decided to clock out early and gamble that theyll be able to make ends meet for the next several decades. Heres a quick look to see if its possible to retire on $500K if you are 45 years old.
How Much Retirement $600k Will Actually Buy You
One of the biggest worries associated with retirement planning is making sure you have enough money tucked away. While some people might aim to save $1 million or even $2 million for the future, your goal might be to save $500,000 or $600,000 instead. But just how long will $600,000 last in retirement? And is it enough? Asking those kinds of questions can help you shape your retirement savings strategy. Something else that can help you shape your retirement savings is working with a financial advisor.
Can You Retire With $600,000?
Its possible to retire with $600,000 in savings with careful planning, but its important to consider how long your money will last. Whether you can successfully retire with $600,000 can depend on a number of factors, including:
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Expected longevity
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Total savings and income
The earlier you retire, the longer your retirement savings has to last, especially if you have a longer life expectancy. And the type of lifestyle you choose can influence how far $600,000 will go in retirement. Things like inflation and market volatility can also affect your overall retirement outcomes. Health can play a part as well as healthcare costs tend to increase as you get older.
Can I Retire at 62 With $600,000?
How Long Will $600,000 Last in Retirement?
How to Retire With $600,000
The Bottom Line
Retirement Planning Tips
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It’s Not About Money It’s About Income
One important point when it comes to determining your retirement“number” is that it isn’t about deciding on a certain amount of savings. For example, the most common retirement goal among Americans is a $1 million nest egg. But this is faulty logic.
The most important factor in determining how much you need to retire is whether you’ll have enough money to create the income you need to support your desired quality of life after you retire.
Will a $1 million savings balance allow you to create enough income forever? Maybe, but maybe not. That’s what we’re going to determine in this article.
What If I Already Have Enough To Retire
If you already have enough to retire, what are you waiting for?
Youve worked hard, saved prudently and spent modestly. Youve now got enough income and capital to retire at 60.
Dont be like the couple I recently met, who carried on working until they were 65. By completing a cash flow report, I showed them not only could they afford to retire now, but they could have retired at 60 .
Book a retirement review now to see if you could retire at 60.
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An Average Retirement By The Numbers
Everyone’s retirement is different, therefore everyone will need a different budget. But to get a rough estimate of costs, let’s look at averages. We’ll use the following information for our calculations:
- The average retirement age is 64.6 for men and 62.3 for women, according to the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College.
- The average man turning 65 this year can expect to live to 84, and the average woman can expect to live to 86.5, according to the Social Security Administration.
- The average annual expenditures for households headed by an adult 65 or older are $50,860, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
First, let’s consider the cost of the average man’s retirement based on this data. His retirement will last about 19.4 years. We multiply the $50,860 in average expenditures by this number of years, but we must also account for inflation. If we assume a 3% annual inflation rate, that leaves us with an estimate of a little over $1.3 million. He won’t have to save all of this on his own because he’ll have Social Security to cover some of it and hopefully a 401 match. But $500,000 probably still isn’t going to be enough to cover his out-of-pocket costs.
Now let’s look at the average woman’s retirement. She can expect to enjoy 24.2 years of retirement. Following the same steps above, we end up with a total closer to $1.8 million. That $500,000 doesn’t look so good anymore, does it?