What a year! The events of 2020 have reached into every facet of our lives. Many careers have been changed or upended.
People working happily at advanced ages have told us they are leery of workplace exposures, so many are on leave or have retired. Others have been displaced from jobs they would have preferred to keep. And some are helping descendants cope with “distance learning” or a loss of childcare options instead of working at jobs.
One friend retired just before the pandemic, planning an ambitious travel schedule. That isn’t happening. And another, who had planned to retire, now works from home: they figure they might as well keep working, since they cannot travel or engage in activities they had planned for retirement.
No matter what 2020 has thrown at you, the basics of retirement planning have not changed. It is a five-step process. We need to figure out…
- how much money it takes to run the life we prefer,
- monthly income amounts and timing from Social Security or pensions,
- lump sums required for one-time goals or needs, like a bucket list trip or boat,
- lump sums available from savings, investments, 401(k) plans, and other wealth, and
- the sustainable monthly cash flow that might be withdrawn from net long-term investments, after the lump sums are accounted for (we help people with this step).
There are nuances to each step—options to analyze, lifestyle decision to make. Retirement planning works out best when it is a process over time. We have noticed that people learn more about their objectives and their finances as time goes on, and things change. So your retirement plan adapts and changes over time, too.
If the pandemic has shaken things up for you as it has for others—or if it has just gotten to be that time—call or email us when you are ready to work on your plans and planning. Clients, if changes need to be incorporated in your plans, let’s keep talking.
We’re glad to help.