Tips to Retire Comfortably and Realistically

Why is it harder to retire comfortably today?

• Financial markets are tilted in favor of borrowers over savers. (Good for home buyers, but investments are now paying less than they did before the financial crisis.)

• Defined benefit retirement plans, except in the public sector, are no longer common

• We are living longer

• Our idea of comfortable retirement has changed

How do we adjust to current financial realities?

• Save more – 15 to 20 percent. Take advantage of employer matching plans; open an IRA or Roth IRA to maximize tax benefits in retirement accounts.

• Delay retirement

• Consider downsizing

• Learn to be content

Learn more about upcoming seminars here.

– Guy Williams, President and CEO, Gulf Coast Bank & Trust