Watch for These Hazards on the Road to Retirement
On the road to retirement, be on the lookout for hazards that can hamper your progress. Here are five potential risks that can slow you down.
漫无目的的旅行
Embarking on an adventure without a destination can be exciting, but not when it comes to retirement. Before starting any investing journey, the first step is setting a realistic goal. You’ll need to consider a number of factors — your desired lifestyle, 工资/收入, 健康, 未来社会保障福利, any traditional pension benefits you or your spouse may be entitled to, 和其他人. Examining your personal situation both now and in the future will help you home in on a target.
While some people prefer to establish a lump-sum goal amount — for example, $1 million or more — others find a large number daunting. Another option is to focus on how much you might need on a monthly basis during retirement. 不管采取什么方法, 一定要把通货膨胀因素考虑在内, which can place unexpected curves in your path.
投资过于激进...
You may also encounter potholes when trying to target an appropriate rate of return. Retirement investors aiming for the highest possible returns might want to overweight their portfolio in the most aggressive — and risky — 投资s available. Although it’s generally wise to invest at least some of a retirement portfolio in higher-risk 投资s to help outpace inflation, the proportion and individual 投资 selections should be determined strategically. Investments seeking to achieve higher returns involve a higher degree of risk. Appropriate decisions will reflect your goal, 你的投资期限, and your general ability to withstand volatility.
...或者过于保守
另一方面, if you’re afraid of losing any money at all, you might favor the most conservative 投资s, 哪些努力保护本金. Yet investing too conservatively can also be risky. If your portfolio does not earn enough, you may fall short of your goal and end up with a far different retirement lifestyle than you originally imagined.
所有投资都有风险, including the possible loss of principal, and there is no guarantee that any 投资 strategy will be successful.
屈服于诱惑
Most people experience an unplanned detour on the road to retirement — the need for a new car, 意外的家庭维修, 不可预见的医疗费用, 机会还是要花很长时间, 异国情调的度假.
During these times, your retirement portfolio may loom as a potential source of funding. But think twice before tapping these assets, particularly if the money is in a tax-deferred account such as an employer-sponsored plan or IRA. 考虑到:
- Any dollars you remove from your portfolio will no longer be working for your future.
- 在大多数情况下, you will generally have to pay regular income taxes on amounts that represent tax-deferred 投资 dollars and earnings.
- 如果你在59岁半以下, you may have to pay an additional penalty of 10% to 25%, depending on the type of retirement plan and other factors (some emergency exceptions apply — check with your plan or IRA administrator).
It’s best to carefully consider all other options before using money earmarked for retirement.
小心行事
Prioritizing college over retirement
Many well-meaning parents may feel that saving for their children’s college education should be a higher priority than saving for their own retirement. “We can continue working as long as needed,” or “our home will fund our retirement,是普遍的信念. However, these can be very risky trains of thought. While no parent wants his or her children to take on a heavy debt burden to pay for education, loans are a common and realistic college-funding option — not so for retirement. If saving for both college and retirement seems impossible, a financial professional can help you explore a variety of tools and options to assist you in balancing both goals (however, there is no assurance that working with a financial professional will improve 投资 results).