Today’s Prep:
Do you have a strategy in place to avoid these retirement planning mistakes? Eric talks through what to do instead to make sure your plan is a success.
(Click the featured times below to jump forward in the episode)
Equipping Points:
Nobody likes making mistakes, but it happens from time to time. What are the biggest retirement planning mistakes that people make and what can you do to avoid them?
A major mistake many make is ignoring or forgetting the future tax implications of your retirement savings. The vast majority of people save in qualified plans like a 401(k) or 403(b) that grows tax-deferred. You need to have a diversity of incomes coming from different tax sources: taxable, tax-deferred, and tax-free. You may need to move money from one bucket to another. Roth conversions are an easy way to do that.
People who start Social Security too early may end up regretting this. There’s a lot of strategy that goes into choosing when to start Social Security. The best way to determine what to do is to have a Social Security analysis to compare your options as a part of a bigger plan.
Are you paying more attention to your returns than your retirement income needs? The returns are easy to focus on but remember that you have to take risk in the stock market. The income equals the outcome, which is why you need to focus first on the income needs. The trend of the market will vary but you need a consistent flow of income.
Your friends and family mean well, but taking their advice for financial decisions is not the same as getting advice from a professional. The clearer your objectives are, the clearer your goals are, then the better the planning process is going to be. An advisor is going to ask the tough questions that you need to face when making a plan.
Being too aggressive or too conservative in the market will be a problem. How do you strike the right balance? It’s important to remember that it changes at different points in your life. You need to find a strategy. A plan will help you see what tools and what strategies you need to make your plan work.
Listen to the entire episode or skip ahead to a particular mistake using the timestamps below.
[1:01] – What are the top five retirement planning mistakes?
[1:09] – Ignoring the future tax implications.
[2:49] – Starting Social Security too early.
[5:05] – Focusing on returns vs. the income needed.
[6:56] – Taking advice from friends and family.
[8:25] – You have to find the right balance.
Today’s Takeaway:
“The clearer your objectives are, the clearer your goals are, then the better the planning process is going to be.“
-Eric Peterson
Subscribe To The Podcast:
Apple Podcasts - Google Podcasts - Spotify - Stitcher - iHeartRadio - TuneIn
Check out some other recent episodes
Mailbag: Where Should I Invest after Maxing Out 401(k)?
When saving for retirement, a lot of people look to their 401(k). But what happens after you’ve maxed out your contribution based on the yearly limit? Eric explains what options you have to invest toward your retirement beyond a 401(k). This will include money in the different buckets as well as other products to consider.
Read More
Stories People Tell Themselves
When it comes to where you’ve ended up financially, you may have a running narrative on how that happened. There are a number of common stories people tell themselves to make sense of their situation. On today’s show we discuss some of these stories and how we can both understand them and improve upon them.
Read More
Financial Main Characters and Secondary Characters
When you watch TV shows or movie, it doesn’t take long until you realize who is the main character or who is more of a secondary character. When it comes to your financial life, which strategies, products, or tools are main characters in your financial plan and which ones are secondary?
Read More
Separating Your Money
Do you have all of your money in one place? Sometimes your money should be kept in separate funds and separate places so that it can be used for the appropriate purposes. You want to be able to access the money you have when you need it, both now and in the future.
Read More
Mailbag: Do We Need So Much Money in Cash?
Eric explains where things like your emergency fund can come and how couples usually think about savings. He also answers two other questions from the mailbag regarding retirement.
Read More
Rescuing Old Accounts
Do you have an old account laying around collecting dust, so to speak? Instead of forgetting about these, it’s important to find them, assess them, and get them up-to-date. It may even be an easier process than you think.
Read More
SECURE Act 2.0 – What Retirees Need to Know
Congress passed the SECURE Act 2.0 at the end of 2022, and you might have missed it because it was part of a larger bill.
Read More
Retirement Lifestyles
Retirement planning is so much more than simply having enough money socked away. Social activity, hobbies, skills, physical activity, and routines are all big components of your life now and likewise, should be in your retirement.
Read More Good Intentions and Financial Advice
How can you use your money wisely? Eric answers three questions that range from short-term travel plans to long-term estate planning decisions. While it’s good to be a good steward with your money, remember what it’s really there for.
Read More
Mailbag: Should I Invest Unused Travel Funds Into Something More Practical?
How can you use your money wisely? Eric answers three questions that range from short-term travel plans to long-term estate planning decisions. While it’s good to be a good steward with your money, remember what it’s really there for.
Read More