ARE YOU stressed about your retirement savings? Donβt feel alone. According to the Employee Benefit Research Institute, 61% of U.S. workers during 2020 felt the same way. The year 2020 continually tested confidence in retirement plans and investment choices. To make 2021 a different year, consider these tips to help you get a fresh start.
Start the process by reviewing your goals. You might have had a savings target based on certain assumptions about how you thought your life was going to go. These assumptions may have changed. For example, you may have gotten married, added a family member, changed jobs, or moved. As goals and circumstances change, the amount you need to save to meet them may change as well.
kAm%96 ?6IE DE6A π E96 AC@46DD π E@ F?56CDE2?5 J@FC C6E:C6>6?E A=2?] %96D6 A=2?D 42? G2CJ 2?5 J@FCD >2J 36 5:776C6?E 7C@> J@FC ?6:893@CβD] s@6D J@FC 6>A=@J6C A=2? @776C 2 >2E49:?8 4@?EC:3FE:@?n xD E96C6 2 AC@7:ED92C:?8 4@?EC:3FE:@?n s@ J@F 92G6 E@ H2:E 2 A6C:@5 @7 E:>6 F?E:= J@FC 6>A=@J6C 4@?EC:3FE:@?D 2C6 J@FCD E@ <66A W<?@H? 2D 2 G6DE:?8 D4965F=6Xnk^Am
kAmx? 2 A:?49[ 42? J@F 3@CC@H 7C@> J@FC 6>A=@J6C A=2?n %9:D π ?@E C64@>>6?565[ 3FE :E π 8@@5 E@ <?@H ;FDE π 42D6 E96C6 2C6 ?@ 2=E6C?2E:G6D] x?DE625 @7 3@CC@H:?8[ 5@ J@F 92G6 E96 23:=:EJ E@ E2<6 92C5D9:A H:E95C2H2=Dn r2? J@F E2<6 :?D6CG:46 H:E95C2H2=D 2E 2?J A@:?En s@6D E96 A=2? 92G6 2 #@E9 c_`W<X @AE:@?n %96 2?DH6CD E@ E96D6 BF6DE:@?D >2J 36 7@F?5 π 2 5@4F>6?E 42==65 E96 $F>>2CJ !=2? s6D4C:AE:@?]k^Am
kAm#6G:6H J@FC C6E:C6>6?E D2G:?8D A=2? 4@?EC:3FE:@? C2E6 2E H@C<] pC6 J@F 4@?EC:3FE:?8 6?@F89 E@ 86E E96 >2I:>F> >2E49 2G2:=23=6n r2? J@F :?4C62D6 E96 A6C46?E286 3J `Tn *@F >:89E 4@?D:56C D2G:?8 2?J D2=2CJ :?4C62D6D J@F C646:G6 5FC:?8 E96 J62C :?E@ E96 A=2?] xE π E96 4@?D:DE6?4J @7 D2G:?8D @G6C E:>6 E92E H:== 3F:=5 J@FC C6E:C6>6?E ?6DE 688]k^Am
kAm*@F AC@323=J 92G6 J@FC C6E:C6>6?E 2DD6ED :?G6DE65 π 2 46CE2:? H2J[ DF49 2D 244@C5:?8 E@ 2 E2C86E 2DD6E 2==@42E:@?] v:G6? E96 >2C<6E EFC3F=6?46[ J@FC A@CE7@=:@ >2J 92G6 5C:7E65 2H2J 7C@> J@FC E2C86E] qFE 367@C6 J@F C632=2?46[ 2D< J@FCD6=7 E9:Di s@6D J@FC 4FCC6?E 2DD6E 2==@42E:@? >66E J@FC 8@2=Dn #682C5=6DD @7 H96E96C @C ?@E J@F <66A J@FC 6I:DE:?8 2==@42E:@? @C 25@AE 2 ?6H @?6[ J@F ?665 E@ >2<6 DFC6 J@FC 2DD6E >:I π 2AAC@AC:2E6 7@C J@FC D:EF2E:@?] x7 :E :D[ E96? J@F 42? AC@4665 H:E9 D6==:?8 2DD6ED π @G6CH6:89E 4=2DD6D 2?5 3FJ:?8 2DD6ED π E96 F?56CH6:89E 4=2DD6D] %9:D 42? 36 5@?6 2== 2E @?46 @C @G6C E:>6] q67@C6 >2<:?8 492?86D[ 36 DFC6 E@ C6G:6H E96 E2I 4@?D6BF6?46D] z66A π >:?5 E92E C632=2?4:?8 π 2 C:D< 4@?EC@= >62DFC6 2?5 ?@E 2 8F2C2?E66 E92E J@F H:== >2<6 >@?6J]k^Am
kAmxE 2=D@ >2<6D D6?D6 E@ C6G:6H J@FC D2G:?8D π =:89E @7 J@FC 4FCC6?E E2I A:4EFC6] $@>6 A=2?D[ DF49 2D 2 EC25:E:@?2= x#p @C c_`W<X[ 8:G6 J@F 2 4FCC6?E E2I 565F4E:@? 7@C 4@?EC:3FE:@?D E92E J@F >2<6] %96 42G62E 96C6 π E92E E96 >@?6J π E96? E2I65 H96? J@F H:E95C2H E96 7F?5D] ~E96C A=2?D[ DF49 2D 2 #@E9 x#p @C #@E9 c_`W<X[ 5@?βE 8:G6 J@F 2?J 4FCC6?E E2I 36?67:E 3FE 6?23=6 J@F E@ H:E95C2H E96 7F?5D E2I 7C66 :7 46CE2:? 4@?5:E:@?D 2C6 >6E]k^Am
kAm(9:49 D9@F=5 J@F 49@@D6n x7 J@F 766= J@F >:89E 36 π 2 9:896C E2I 3C24<6E 5FC:?8 C6E:C6>6?E[ J@F >:89E H2?E E@ 49@@D6 2 #@E9 EJA6 @7 A=2?] p=E6C?2E:G6=J[ :7 J@F 766= J@FC E2I 3C24<6E H:== 36 =@H6C π C6E:C6>6?E J@F >:89E 49@@D6 2 EC25:E:@?2= x#p @C c_`W<X] x7 J@F 2C6 J@F?8 2?5 ;FDE DE2CE:?8 @FE[ E96 E2I 565F4E:@? >2J ?@E >62? E92E >F49 E@ J@F] x? E9:D 42D6 J@F >:89E H2?E E@ 49@@D6 2 #@E9 x#p 7@C J62CD @7 E2I7C66 62C?:?8D 2?5 E96 A@E6?E:2= 7@C E2I7C66 H:E95C2H2=D 5FC:?8 C6E:C6>6?E] p?@E96C DEC2E68J π E@ 96586 J@FC 36ED 2?5 4@?EC:3FE6 E@ 3@E9 EJA6D @7 A=2?D]k^Am
kAmx? 2?J 6G6?E[ 8:G6? E96 49@:46D J@F 7246[ J@F >2J H2?E E@ 5:D4FDD E96 DA64:7:4D @7 J@FC :?5:G:5F2= D:EF2E:@? H:E9 2 46CE:7:65 7:?2?4:2= A=2??6C]k^Am
Marc A. Hebert, MS, CFP, is a senior member and president of the wealth management and financial planning firm The Harbor Group of Bedford. Email questions to Marc at mhebert@harborgroup.com. Your question and his response might appear in a future column.