What Is A Comfortable Retirement Income

How Much To Save For Retirement

According to Fidelity, you should be saving at least 15% of your pre-tax salary for retirement. Fidelity isnt alone in this belief: Most financial advisors also recommend a similar pace for retirement savings, and this figure is backed by studies from the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College.

For many people, however, saving for retirement isnt as simple as setting aside 15% of their salary.

The 15% rule of thumb takes a couple factors for grantednamely, that you begin saving pretty early in life. To retire comfortably by following the 15% rule, youd need to get started at age 25 if you wanted to retire by 62, or at age 35 if you wanted to retire by 65.

It also assumes that you need an annual income in retirement equivalent to 55% to 80% of your pre-retirement income to live comfortably. Depending on your spending habits and medical expenses, more or less may be necessary. But 55% to 80% is a good estimate for many people.

Finally, the 15% rule wont provide you with a nest egg that supplies all of your retirement income. Youll most likely derive part of your retirement income from Social Security, for example. All in all, the 15% estimate should provide you with steady retirement income that lasts into your early 90s, at a rate of around 45% of your pre-retirement income.

How Much Do You Need To Retire

No matter the type of lifestyle you want to lead when you retire, your options will be limited by the size of your pension pot. The larger the pot, the more it can pay out.

For example:

• a £285,000 pot could pay out up to £20,000 per year for 20 years.
• a £425,000 pot could pay out up to £30,000 per year for 20 years.
• a £575,000 pot could pay out up to £40,000 per year for 20 years.

Its up to you how long you want to stretch out your pension to last you could take out a larger amount for fewer years, a smaller amount over more years, or you could buy an annuity that pays out for the rest of your life.

Selling Your Current Home And Buying A Less Expensive One

Selling your home and buying a less expensive one can provide you with extra money in retirement. This is often called downsizing.

You may save money in rent or mortgage payments, or free up some of the money that is invested in your home, by moving into a less expensive home. You may also pay less for utilities such as heating and electricity. However, remember that there are many fees and costs associated with buying and selling a home.

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Retirement Savings By Age

Its hard to predict how much youll need in your pension to enjoy a comfortable retirement because everyones circumstances are different. But one rule is broadly true: the earlier you start paying into a pension, the more likely youll be able to afford a comfortable lifestyle.

This is because:

• The earlier you start your pension, the longer your pension has to grow.
• The longer you pay into a pension, the less you need to pay in each month.

The following examples are calculated using PensionBees pension calculator. Weve assumed your employer will contribute £100 per month and youll retire at 70.

Big Cola Boost For 2022

The average monthly Social Security income got a 5.9% boost for 2022 due to rising inflation. This Cost of Living Adjustment raised the average monthly Social Security payment to $1,657.

Social Security was never intended to be a primary source of income. It was only ever intended to supplement retirement income. However, maximizing your payout can really add up over your lifetime!

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Retirement Rule Of Thumb: 4% Rule

There are different ways to determine how much money you need to save to get the retirement income you want. One easy-to-use formula is to divide your desired annual retirement income by 4%, which is known as the 4% rule.

To generate the $80,000 cited above, for example, you would need a nest egg at retirement of about $2 million . This strategy assumes a 5% return on investments , no additional retirement income , and a lifestyle similar to the one you would be living at the time you retire.

Keep in mind that your life expectancy plays an important role in determining if the 4% rule rate will be sustainable. In general, the 4% rule assumes that you will live for about another 30 years in retirement. Retirees who live longer need their portfolios to last longer, and medical costs and other expenses can increase as you age.

The 4% rule does not work unless you stick to it year in and year out. Straying one year to splurge on a big purchase can have major consequences because this reduces the principal, which directly impacts the compound interest that a retiree depends on to sustain their income.

Registered Retirement Savings Plans

A Registered Retirement Savings Plan is a savings plan designed to help you save for retirement. RRSPs help you grow your money while offering tax benefits. For example, you may get a deduction on your income tax, depending on your income and the amount you contribute. You also dont have to pay tax on the money you earn as long as it stays in your RRSP.

You can claim a deduction on your income tax return for RRSP contributions up to your RRSP deduction limit. This limit is typically 18% of your earned income for the previous year .

Money taken out of an RRSP is considered income. This means that you may have to pay tax on it. This can also impact the amount of money you receive from government benefits that are based on your income, such as the Old Age Security pension and the Guaranteed Income Supplement .

There are some programs that allow you to take money out of an RRSP without having to pay tax. For example, if you use the money to buy a house or to pay for your or your spouses post-secondary education. Youll have to follow special rules and put the money back in your RRSP within a certain period or you will have to include it as income and may have to pay tax on it.

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Retirement Hobbies And Activities

When you retire, you should be able to focus on what makes you happy and what makes you feel fulfilled. However, you can still pursue hobbies and activities that meet both of these goals while living within your means.

Here are some of the best hobbies and activities you can enjoy throughout your golden years.

To Retire Comfortably Americans Say They Will Need $11 Million Unfortunately Less Than One In Four Will Have The Savings To Do So

According to the 2022 Schroders US Retirement Survey, 22% of people approaching retirement say theyll have enough money to maintain a comfortable standard of living. The figure is down from 26% the previous year.

Overall, there is a general expectation among Americans that their retirement savings will be inadequate. In fact, the majority expect to have less than $500,000 saved by the time they retire and 36% anticipate having less than $250,000.

Not surprisingly, American workers were most worried about inflation shrinking their assets in retirement. The second most-feared scenario is becoming a reality, at least right now 53% of respondents fear a major market downturn significantly reducing assets.

The list of concerns that retirees have, and that Americans in general have, are longer and they are more serious today, Joel Schiffman, who oversees defined contribution products in North America for Schroders, told Bloomberg. Inflation, the stock market, the cost of healthcare, taxes there is this compounding effect.

People already retired said they were comfortable, or that their circumstances were not terrible, not good. But 18% said their retirement was hard, and 5% said it was an absolute nightmare.

Before panicking, though, you should answer an important question. What is a comfortable retirement lifestyle?

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Should I Pay Off My Mortgage Before I Retire

It all comes down to personal preference. Those who itemize deductions may find that their mortgage interest reduces their taxes. If the interest rate is low enough, you might be better off investing more money than paying off the debt.

If you plan on retiring comfortably, you need to consider the impact of paying off your mortgage. Even though its best to enter retirement debt-free, its not a good idea to drain your retirement fund to pay off a house.

How Much Do I Need To Retire

Most experts say your retirement income should be about 80% of your final pre-retirement annual income. That means if you make $100,000 annually at retirement, you need at least $80,000 per year to have a comfortable lifestyle after leaving the workforce.

This amount can be adjusted up or down depending on other sources of income, such as Social Security, pensions, and part-time employment, as well as factors like your health and desired lifestyle. For example, you might need more than that if you plan to travel extensively during retirement.

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Understanding Retirement Income Targets

Retirement income targets as set out by the PLSA are relatively new to the UK. They seek to simplify retirement planning by using agreed standards that will suit most people.

Based on the Australian system, they outline 3 distinct retirement lifestyle options contrasting a minimum, modest and comfortable retirement standard.

They are designed to show you how much your desired lifestyle will cost you in retirement and help you plan accordingly.

The retirement budget is based on a wide range basket of goods and services and includes spending on

• House

How Much Will You Spend In Retirement

You may have a particular goal in mind with your retirement. Perhaps you want to live the same type of lifestyle you always have. Or, may you want something a little more luxurious. Overall, your retirement plan should accommodate the financial freedom that reasonably fits your wants and needs.

But creating a goal or estimating how much youll need isnt always easy. In that case, you may want to consider the 80% rule of thumb. With this, you need at least 80% of your before-retirement income to support yourself. Its lower than your full income because you wont have to worry about certain expenses anymore. For example, a retiree doesnt pay payroll taxes toward Social Security, contributions to their retirement plan or have to worry about costs like commuting expenses.

The 80% isnt fixed, though. Its just a guideline. Once again, think about the life you want to lead in your golden years. Older individuals often want to travel in that time, which is an expense. Alternatively, they may have a health condition to pay for or dependents to support. Plan out enough to accommodate both types of spending.

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Plan For Your Retirement

The emphasis is on “your” retirement here, because no 2 will look the same. You could take two 55-year-old women with the same job and even the same postal code, and their vision for this next chapter will probably be very different along with what they can actually afford. Thats because a range of factors from how much we have saved to how much we want to spend can all influence just how much money well need to retire. Ideally, comfortably as well!

Whether youre 25 or 55, it can be helpful to sit down and answer a few questions to help you clarify what retirement might look like to you. Heres what you should ask yourself and why that matters:

1) When do I want to retire?

Its just math: The later you retire from full time work, the longer you have to accumulate that retirement nest egg. You might want to retire at 55 like your parents did, but do you have their fantastic pension? Its also worth remembering that were living longer, so its possible you may have to make this amount last for several decades. Is this something you want?

2) Where would I like to live in retirement?

3) What will my expenses be?

4) What will my income be each month?

Take Steps To Try And Improve Your Investment Performance

Are you happy with the investment returns which your pension plans are achieving? Would you like the opportunity for higher returns – even if it meant taking more investment risk?

Holding a range of pension plans can make it hard to see where all your money is invested and to assess the risks you are taking. It could also mean you are paying more than you need to in charges.

Workplace pensions often end up in default managed funds that may not provide the best performance, particularly for people with many years to retirement. On the other hand, personal pension contributions can be left forgotten in cash for years, earning little or no return.

Personal pensions in particular may offer a bewildering range of investment options.

A Brewin Dolphin financial planner can advise on whether you would be better off consolidating some or all of your pension plans. They will review where your money is currently invested and advise on the optimal investment strategy for you, taking into account your attitude to risk, your investment timeframe and your broader circumstances.

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How Much Savings Will You Need To Retire

Now let’s determine how much savings you’ll need to retire. After you’ve figured out how much income you’ll need to generate from your savings, the next step is to calculate how large your retirement nest egg needs to be in order to be able to produce this much income in perpetuity.

A retirement calculator is one option, or you can use the “4% rule.” While the 4% rule admittedly has its flaws, it’s a good starting point for determining a safe annual withdrawal amount.

The 4% rule says that, in your first year of retirement, you can withdraw 4% of your retirement savings. So, if you have $1 million saved, you would take $40,000 out during your first retired year either in a lump sum or as a series of payments. In subsequent years of retirement, you would adjust this amount upward to keep up with cost-of-living increases.

The most important consideration in deciding 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.

The idea is that, if you follow this rule, you shouldn’t have to worry about running out of money in retirement. Specifically, the 4% rule is designed to make sure your money has a high probability of lasting for a minimum of 30 years.

To calculate a retirement savings target based on the 4% rule, you use the following formula:

Retirement savings target = Annual income required x 25

What Is A Comfortable Retirement Income For Couples

According to research , couples in the UK need a minimum retirement income of £15,700, to live a moderate lifestyle for £29,100 or £47,500 to live comfortably.

These stats are a national average outside of London, and your circumstances could be different. Maybe you dont take a holiday every year, or youre not one for splashing out on designer labels. Its all about what things matter to you.

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Healthy Real Estate Market

You might not immediately think of your home as having an impact on your retirement income. However, your home is most likely your most valuable financial asset and there are various ways to turn your equity into retirement income.

Home values are at record highs in many locations.

There are many ways that you can tap into your home equity to help maximize your wealth, add to your retirement income, or make other assets last longer. Reverse mortgages are an increasingly popular option. Downsizing is another possibility.

You can model future housing changes as part of your long term financial plan in the NewRetirement Planner.

Where To Go For More

We hope that the figures in the tables below will get you thinking.

For more information on the factors to consider when planning your retirement income needs, refer to the SuperGuide article How much super do I need to retire?

The data in these tables is a small selection of possible outcomes. To plug in your own numbers, check out SuperGuides Income from super Reckoner.

We also encourage you to try out MoneySmarts Retirement Planner calculator with your projected super balance, retirement age, length of retirement and estimated investment returns. The calculator also allows you to enter outside savings and investments.

Disclaimer: This article is only intended to give approximate figures about the range of superannuation required to fund a retirement income of approximately $60,000 per year. These figures do not take into account any of your personal circumstances and are also based on projections about future investment returns which may not be achieved. We recommend that you undertake your own additional research for your own retirement planning, and wherever possible seek independent financial advice.

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How To Boost Your Pension Income:

You cannot exactly boost your pension payments. You can make sure that you are making the right choice between getting monthly payments vs a lump sum. Additionally, you should periodically check with your plan administrator about the health of the funds. Many pensions are underfunded.

If you are lucky enough to have a pension, be sure to use a retirement calculator with pension controls to accurately factor your pension into your overall plan! The NewRetirement Planner fits the bill!