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