你可以為退休準備的八件事情

生活在中國的“專家”喜歡和擅長搞忽悠，美國的“專家”又何嘗不是，並且在技能上還絲毫不差。這不，喜愛玩數字遊戲的專家們，又為退休的人們“計算”了需要準備的金錢數量：你年度收入的四倍！

對於而知天命之年的半老人來說，已經準備了足夠的資金來打點自己十幾年之後退休的生活，從理論上說當然是一件必須做的事情。只是，當然和能夠，實在是非常不同的概念了。

現實是，不僅對於像我們這樣的新移民，由於家底不夠厚實，或者由於是在一個新的世界打拼，“準備不足”很多時候會成為不得不面對的現實，即使是“規規矩矩”的地道美國佬，很多人在這方面也做的不怎麼地。

如果你處於這樣的狀況，也沒有必要覺得尷尬，甚至是因此而“亟不可待”被人利用和隨便受人忽悠，因為，很多普通的美國人在這方面也做的不怎麼樣。雖然你時不時會看到活得很“風光”和“精彩”的美國佬，雖然你和他們見面時，聽到的是一個個吐沫橫飛的，關於海濱度假、高爾夫球場精彩擊球的快感故事。

統計數字表明，在美國生活的四十八歲以上的人群中（1946年到1964年之間出生的人），60%的人只有不到十萬美元的退休金準備，更有高達40%的人只有不到2.5萬美元的資金，可用來做自己的退休金使用。很多人即使是一大把年紀了，還在扛着不菲的按揭貸款過日子。

所以說，生活在美國的老人的日子，也不見得就一定比生活在中國的老人們。過的要好很多，至少從金錢準備的數量來看是這樣。

金融計劃師們一再倡導說：每個人都應該儘可能早的為自己幾十年之後的退休生活積累資金。這句話說起來容易，反正有時候人們“站着說話也不覺得腰疼”。實際上，很多人在年輕的時候，都在為基本的生活而掙扎，過好當前的日子畢竟比計劃幾十年之後或許還存在的日子要重要的多。再說，美國還是一個喜歡和鼓勵人們做夢和追尋夢想的國度。既然是喜歡尋夢，當然就會有很多人期望自己會很快發達，於是乎，在邏輯上也沒有必要太早的做自我犧牲，為“遙遠”的未來省吃儉用了。

不管你到了哪個年紀，也不管你為自己未來的退休日子做了多少準備，反正，日子還是得照樣的過。只是，“一方水土養一方人”的話，對於不同經濟基礎和實力的人，似乎不是很實用。因為，你能夠生活的“水土”，最終還是得基於你的經濟實力來進行調整。如果你經濟基礎不是很好，在你退休之後，選擇一個更住得起的地方和更容易承擔的生活水準，恐怕就是最好的選擇了。

接下來的，無非就是我們常說的“開源節流”，實實在在的過日子。

在這裡，你可以做的，一方面是充分利用國家給予的稅收上的優惠，儘可能節省一點資金，給自己未來的生活使用；另一方面，就是在退休之後，及時的調整自己的生活水準，包括住房大小、居住地點，和日常的開支習慣，讓新的生活能夠和你所擁有的經濟狀況相適應。

如果你有心情的話，退休之後，找個比較鄉野的地方，搞點自給自足，不僅不是一件壞事，可能還有益身心健康。並且，在美國，你還非常容易找到這樣的地方，享受陶淵明夢想而難以真正獲得的生活環境。

你完全沒有必要像我們的先輩（早期移民）那樣，非得在一個華人很多的地方去湊熱鬧。畢竟，你不僅在語言方面應該比他們更有優勢，同時，現在美國人對於華裔的態度，也已經是遠和過去不同的了。你完全可以有意識的養成一些更為美國化的習慣，來打法你退休之後“孤獨”的生活。

下面是美國的“專家”們給你支的八招。是不是有價值，就看你自己怎麼樣去理解了。有一點倒是比較重要：不要因為年紀大了又累積的資金不足，而盲目的搞急功近利的事情。如果你在年輕的時候都沒有承擔必要的風險，卻在退休之年去勉勉強強的擔當自己難以承擔的風險，可能也不是很明智的選擇。特別是在股市投資這塊。股市投資看上去很簡單，實際上水很深，不是一般人能夠玩得開的。輸不起的事情就不要勉強自己去做。

再者，小心被人忽悠。在美國，有很多打着專家名義的專業人士，非常在行忽悠年長的半老人，也深知他們內心深處的弱點。你不僅得小心，更得好好的長點金融理財方面的見識，當一個有智慧的投資者和理財專家。

 中國人投巨資打造中國城意欲何在？

Eight Things To Do If You Haven’t Planned for Retirement

June 19, 2012 by 247wallst

Once people reach their 50s they finally see retirement on the horizon. They start envisioning that time when they can stop going to work and instead spend their days on the golf course, on the beach or with their families. Yet many people have not saved nearly enough for retirement by the time they are 50 years old. A recent survey by the Employee Benefit Research Institute found that 60% of workers born between 1946 and 1964 have less than $100,000 for retirement. In fact, 40% have saved less than $25,000.

24/7 Wall St. interviewed retirement-related experts from brokerage firms, banks, retirement advocacy groups, and independent financial advisers. With their help, 24/7 identified the eight actions you should take if you have not prepared to retire.

Financial advisers generally recommend people begin saving for retirement starting in their 20s to take full advantage of compounding interest. Although the financial advisers who spoke to 24/7 Wall St. say it is very hard to give concrete estimates on how much should be allocated toward equities and fixed-income, they say it is best to cut risk as one approaches their target retirement age.

Not saving up enough for retirement used to be less of a problem. Workers in previous generations often received pensions from their employers, allowing retirees to know exactly how much money they would get once retired. But employers have increasingly shifted that responsibility onto the employees through 401k and other defined contribution plans.

These days, notes Joe Ready, executive vice president for retirement at Wells Fargo, people get married and have children later in life than previous generations. This means that it is increasingly hard to save for retirement during the 40s and 50s because they still face heavy financial obligations — they are still paying off their mortgage, sending their children to college and so on.

The fact that many current retirees are living off pensions has conditioned younger generations to think their retirement might be the same, says Lule Demmissie, managing director of retirement for TD Ameritrade . “Face it,” Demmissie says, “your retirement isn’t your parents’ retirement.”

Demmissie notes that people in retirement today are working until a later age and finding cheaper housing as they no longer can count on that pension that was once provided to employees. She also points out that while many people have never saved enough for retirement, the problem has become worse once the financial crisis took hold.

By the time you reach age 50, you should have roughly four times your annual income built up in retirement, according to Jean Setzfand, vice president for financial security for AARP. The best way to reach that goal is to start socking away money starting in your 20s. Still, if you are well behind on your goals by the time you reach your 50s, all hope is not lost.

These are the eight things to do if you have not planned for retirement.

1. Reassess life priorities.

Part of reassessing priorities is ensuring you have a plan in place. People should have a retirement plan when they are significantly younger than 50, yet EBRI finds that only 42% of workers of all ages have a retirement plan.

If, at the age of 50, people find themselves inadequately prepared for their dream retirement, they should start by looking at the future, advises Setzfand. “The first thing people should do is consider, ‘What do I want to do with the rest of my life?’” The answer to that question will help decide what actions need to be taken, Setzfand explains. Before moving forward, it is important to ask such questions as “Do I really need that second house in Florida?” or “Can I [afford to] start a trust fund for my grandkids?”

People need to consider how much they are willing and able to fund their children’s college education. Setzfand notes that many parents in their 50s will foot most or all of their children’s college bill to make sure their children don’t end up with debt early in life. However, she cautions people to be careful to make sure they have enough money to build and sustain their own retirement nest egg. After all, you can’t borrow to fund your golden years.

2. Take advantage of increased contribution limits.

If you are late saving for retirement, you may need an extra boost to get closer to your goals. Once people reach age 50, the amount of money they can contribute annually to their 401k and their IRA increases from $17,000 to $22,500 and from $5,000 to $6,000, respectively. Employees should take advantage of these higher contribution limits if possible, since contributions to these plans are tax deductible.

Plus, many employers match contributions up to a certain amount, meaning that employees are forgoing free money if they do not contribute the maximum contribution amount. “If you have access to a 401k, jump into it with two feet,” Ready says.

3. Downsize.

Advisers also recommend downsizing. While the level of downsizing for some could mean simply cutting down on small expenses such as eating out and shopping, for others, more drastic measures may be necessary.

“Downsizing often isn’t something that can be done on the peripheral,” Demmissie says. For some, it may even mean downsizing the house, especially if there is a lot of equity on the property.

Those eyeing retirement can even plan to move in with their adult children. Demmissie notes there has been an increase in multiple generations living under one roof. While living with children is not necessarily part of most people’s dream retirement, it can help make sure retirees do not outlive their money by cutting out housing costs and even some home-care costs. Moving to places with lower tax rates and costs of living, Demmissie notes, may also help people live their more ideal retirement at a lower cost.

4. Keep working.

With people living longer than generations past, the traditional retirement age of 65 is generally increasing and will continue to do so. About 40% of current American employees plan to continue working until at least age 70, according to a 2011 study by the Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies.

Working until a later age, whether full-time or part-time, gives people more time to build their nest egg while also reducing the likelihood that they will run out of money during their golden years. Plus, if someone truly enjoys his or her job, continuing to work in some capacity is not necessarily a bad thing. “I always believed retirement was fictional,” says John Sestina, founder of John E. Sestina and Company in Columbus, Ohio. “Why does someone have to quit working if they are productive, and what are they going to do to replace that in their life? You can only play so many rounds of golf.”

People still need to take into consideration that their employment status could change due to circumstances such as a layoff or deteriorating health, says George Middleton, an adviser with Limoges Investment Management in Portland, Ore. “A lot of my clients say they will just keep working,” he says. “I always tell them ‘but what if you can’t?’”

5. Factor in health care costs.

Another burden facing retirees in the relatively near future is rapidly growing health care costs. A 65-year old couple who retires in 2012 should plan for $240,000 for medical costs, according to a study by Fidelity, provided the couple does not receive employer-sponsored health coverage. This figure, on average, has risen 6% annually since 2002.

Diane Pearson, a financial adviser at Legend Financial Advisors in Pittsburgh, says higher health care costs in recent years have changed the way she has counseled clients on retirement. She used to try to get her clients’ nest eggs to accrue 2% more than inflation each year, but now that number is close to 6% due to rising health costs.

“People generally underestimate the amount of money they’ll need in retirement,” Pearson says, noting that health care predictions play a major role in that underestimation. “The rule of thumb has been spending 75% to 85% in retirement of what you were spending while you were working full-time. I think that’s absolutely false.” Pearson says the amount spent in retirement likely will be about the same spent in your working years.

6. Don’t play catch up.

If someone has failed to save enough for retirement by their 50s, it may be tempting to build a portfolio full of stocks to play catchup. The financial experts interviewed by 24/7 Wall St. generally advise against this move. While some stocks are still important in a portfolio to help manage inflation, a bad stretch in the stock market can completely devastate a person’s financial goals. “That’s financial suicide,” Sestina calls such a move. “They can’t afford the risk with so little time.”

Middleton says he counsels his clients to take on as little risk as possible in order to reach their retirement goals. Someone who has not saved anything for retirement by age 50 would need to take more, but not excessively more, risk than someone who saved since they were in their 20s. “I just warn [clients] that the plan might not work,” Middleton says.

7. Beware of financial scams.

When people have not saved enough for retirement, they feel overwhelmed and are willing to take drastic measures to try to reach their retirement goals, including falling for financial scams such as the “get rich quick” and “work from home” schemes. Those ages 60 and older lost at least $2.9 billion due to these scams in 2010, according to a recent joint study from Metlife Mature Market Institute, the National Committee for Prevention of Elder Abuse and Virginia Tech University.

Setzfand says that when people are approached about financial products, they need to do research to make sure the product really can help achieve their financial goals. She also recommends people do some research on the broker trying to sell the product to make sure no sanctions have been levied on the broker. “If something looks too good to be true, it’s too good to be true,” Setzfand says.

8. Do not skimp on insurance.

While socking a higher portion of your income in your 50s may help build up a dream retirement fund, it is important to keep up with insurance payments in order to prepare for the unexpected. Such plans as life insurance and long-term care insurance can ensure a person’s spouse or children aren’t financially devastated in case of unfortunate events.

Since life insurance is relatively affordable, Middleton says he has not noticed many people going without it. However, he is concerned many are forgoing long-term care insurance due to its high cost. Middleton says not having long-term care insurance can “completely destroy an estate” if a spouse happens to need that level of care in the future.

-Samuel Weigley

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