There is More to Retirement Planning than Saving Money

Most people think about one thing and one thing only in regards to retirement planning: saving money.

While there is nothing wrong with this, while it’s important to save as much money as possible, there are other details you need to consider as you work towards the goal of hanging up your work boots.

If you focus all your time and attention on cold hard savings, you may find yourself overlooking other important details. As a result, you could be faced with some difficult decisions in the future.

The First Step

It goes without saying that the first thing you should do is review your retirement account(s). This will give you a good idea of where you stand right now, if you are on track to reach your savings goals, and if the time has come to make any big changes to your strategy.

There are many types of retirement accounts, all of which offer their own distinct level of pros and cons.

The most common include Individual Retirement Accounts (IRA) and 401(k)’s. Maybe you have one of these or maybe you have both. As long as you have a plan for saving money, you are in good shape to do so.

The Other Details

As noted above, there is more to retirement than saving money. As you become familiar with the many other details, you can adjust your retirement plan accordingly.

Here are several steps to take, all of which can clear the air while helping you and your loved ones avoid complications in the future:

• Understand your assets going into retirement. This shows that there is more to retirement saving than the money you have saved. Take a strong look at your real estate, life insurance policies, annuities, personal assets, and business interests.
• Organize important papers. This can include but is not limited to trust, will, deeds, life insurance policies, and bank account statements.
• Define your goals. What do you hope to accomplish in regards to retirement planning?
• Estimate how much you will need in retirement. Don’t wait too long to take this step, as you need to know as soon as possible if you are not on the right track.

Now are you beginning to see why retirement planning can be so complex? If you only pay attention to how much you have saved, it’s possible that you could overlook a variety of other important details.

Maximize the Value of Your Retirement Assets

It’s good that you have dedicated yourself to saving as much as possible for retirement. But here is a question to answer: have you maximized the value of your retirement assets? This is something you need to do, as discussed on our retirement planning webpage:

“To ensure you are protected, an estate planning attorney must consider tax reduction techniques as they apply to your individual situation, and interpret complicated income tax rules and IRS regulations. Fortunately, our estate planning attorneys immerse themselves daily in the questions and concerns that IRA investors face in planning their estates.”

Think about it this way: the changes you make today will give you and your family access to more money in the future. It takes some advanced planning, but it’s well worth it in the long run.

Do you have questions about retirement planning? Are you worried you are spending too much time on saving and not enough on other key details?

Now is the time to change your approach, as this will allow you to benefit in the long run.

It is our job to help you better plan for the future, and that is why we are here to provide you with a consultation. Once you speak with our experienced and knowledgeable team, you will better understand your situation and the many changes you can make.

It is not always easy to take the first step, but we are here to assist you. Reach out today and it won’t be long before you feel better about your current situation.

Retirement planning is full of roadblocks and challenges. Even so, this is no reason to give up and hope for the best. All it takes is a detailed plan and you will be well on your way.

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Stephanie Thompson, Estate Planning Attorney of Krueger Hernandez & Thompson SC

As the owner of Krueger Hernandez & Thompson SC, it is Stephanie’s mission to address each client’s goals for their estate plan. By identifying their wishes and concerns she can educate, guide, and counsel on the different tools and options that will effectively and efficiently accomplish those goals.

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