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Hello, groovy freedomists. Today we’re excited to welcome our good friend, Gary, who blogs over at supersavingtips.com. Gary is a former retail executive who also worked in banking as a financial advisor. Now retired, he uses his professional and personal experiences to help others save money and master their personal finances. When he’s not busy writing, Gary enjoys baseball, music, and classic movies.
Mr. Groovy and I are big fans of Gary because we love saving money. And no blogger we know can match the “super saving tips” that Gary offers. Want to save money on transportation? He’s got you covered. Want to save money on food? Look no further. Want to save money on health, entertainment, and travel? Take a gander at this, this, and this. Gary’s a saving machine!
In Gary’s guest post today, he explores four dangerous financial assumptions people often make when planning for retirement. And he provides solutions on how to avoid them. Enjoy!
Have you ever seen the old TV show “The Odd Couple”? You know the original that starred Jack Klugman as “Oscar” and the brilliant Tony Randall as “Felix”. You can learn a lot of things on TV you know, especially when it comes from the genius of someone like Neil Simon and his iconic comedy. Back in the day, my favorite and most memorable episode of the show featured Felix explaining in a courtroom scene how you should never “assume” anything and on a chalkboard he draws the memorable line that: “when you assume, you make an ass of u and me!”
As funny as that line is, making assumptions about things doesn’t always cause a chuckle. When you make assumptions about your finances, for example, you often find that what you assumed would happen just doesn’t happen at all. Assumptions about your retirement plan may be shot to pieces because you assumed your plan made years ago would be just fine! When it comes to finances, rather than assume anything you should be planning for the worst and hoping for the best. You want to be able to react and adjust to what you don’t really know, don’t you?
Dangerous Financial Assumptions
Here are four dangerous assumptions people often make when planning their retirement and financial future, as well as how to avoid making these mistakes.
Dangerous Assumption #1: Inflation will remain low or non-existent
It’s easy to think that just because inflation has been mild during the recent past that it can continue on and on. When you think that way, it lets you choose to be more conservative in your planning and that may cause a real shortfall in what you will need to survive in retirement if inflation rears its head. Back in the 1980’s for example, inflation roared at levels in the teens as a percent so it can and could happen again.
Solution: Think long term when it comes to inflation and start with a more aggressive 3% annual forecast rather than the 1% or less that has been occurring during the past decade. When planning your money needs, adjust your personal expense predictions for your actual personal retirement needs which often means more spent for healthcare and food and less on housing and clothing. Make your investments ones that have traditionally outpaced inflation like Treasury protected securities, I-bonds and things like real estate and precious metal investments.
Dangerous Assumption #2: The stock and bond markets will be just fine and remain rosy
To be sure, S&P investments in the market have been good over a century of investing and have averaged about 10% gains over each decade from 1915 thru 2015. Even right now markets are in record breaking mode, but do not be complacent. There have been periods when the market has in fact reversed that trend and as recent as the decade that ended in 2009 (known as the “lost decade”) we saw the S&P 500 actually lose money during that period! That can happen again.
Solution: Scale down your estimates for returns on your stock projections from 10% to about 5-6% according to Vanguard and Morningstar executives. Being more conservative in your investments for retirement can avoid bigger losses that you just may not be able to make up before actually retiring. In the bond market, be even more conservative planning about 2% gains. The current returns are practically no gains and 2% isn’t even keeping up with inflation if it continues on the way the past 10 years have been going.
Dangerous Assumption #3: You will work beyond your full retirement age, earn more and thus increase your Social Security payout
Many people say that they plan to work beyond their retirement age, in fact more than triple those who said so in 1990 (11%) actually said that in 2015 (36%). In theory, that’s a great plan. Earnings increase the longer you’re working and you continue to contribute to your retirement plan, investments, etc. The disappearance of pension plans means working makes up for that deficit.
The reality is this. There is a real disconnect between the intention to work longer and build more wealth through your job than what actually happens. Most people do not continue to work after their full retirement age despite their intentions to do so. In fact, many do not even work until their full retirement age. Of those that left the workforce early, 60% cite health problems or disability as the reason. Planning to work until age 65 and beyond just may not be possible.
I know this from personal experience. I had intended to keep working, at least part-time, past age 65. But after my heart attack at age 62, I switched to part-time work and then had to retire altogether a year and a half later.
Solution: Scaling back your pre-retirement expenses is the place to start if you are thinking of retiring early or not extending your work life into your post retirement age. Also, increase your saving rate while you are still working. And be sure to take care of your health. Lastly, consider a part time (although it may be a lower paying) job as a bridge to retirement after full retirement age.
Dangerous Assumption #4: You will inherit money from your parents when they die
While it is true that children do inherit money from their families and particularly their parents, the number of them that actually does inherit is declining. Baby boomers are expected to have inherited trillions with almost 2 out of 3 of them receiving money from their parents. However, that number is projected to fall to just 1 out of 2 in the planning by rich Baby Boomers for their own kids.
There are reasons for this. For one, the longer life span we enjoy today has caused many to use more of their funds while still alive. Secondly, health care is ever increasing and more effective so that it’s not uncommon to spend hundreds of dollars on medication and doctor visits each month. Thirdly, Baby Boomers feel that some Gen-Xers have become lazy and expect an inheritance. While the Boomers benefitted, some of that came from the hardships that their parents experienced during the Great Depression and as a result they wanted to help their own children with money to fund their lives as well as their retirement. Boomers feel that their kids have had a wealth of life advantages that they have already provided and intend to use their money for themselves in big amounts.
Solution: Don’t count your chickens before they hatch and don’t count on money from your parents as inheritance that you may not be getting. If you need to, have that talk about inheritance sooner rather than later so you can plan accordingly. Having that talk can also let you know if your parents are hurting themselves by not using their money for their health and enjoyment in life, and you should discourage that from occurring.
One of the most common discussions I had with my clients when discussing their retirement plans with them was shocking even back in the late 1990’s. When I would ask about their retirement plans I often heard, “Oh, I don’t have one. My parents are leaving me money for my retirement!” My response was always the same. I’d say “What if they live to be a hundred and need that money for themselves?”
Your financial future is something that you are constantly prepping for and if you are not, you may be heading for serious problems. Start conversing with your partner, your parents, and financial advisor right now. You don’t have to “assume” anything and you should make sure any assumptions you use are well thought out.
What financial assumptions have you made in your planning? Are you prepared if those assumptions turn out to be untrue?
This post was originally published on Super Saving Tips, December 13, 2016.
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