Welcome to Retirement Scan, our daily roundup of retirement news.
A study on the National Retirement Risk Index found that 46% of married women are at risk in retirement — compared with about 39% of single women. That’s because dual income couples benefit less from Social Security and tend to save less in their retirement plans, according to Alicia H. Munnell, director of Boston College's Center for Retirement Research. “These findings highlight the need for two-earner couples to save more, and the best way to address this issue would to broaden access to retirement savings plans in the workplace,” she writes.
Workers should ensure they are building their savings, minimizing credit card debt and avoiding taking excessive investment risk to have a worry-free retirement, according to this article on Motley Fool. Engaging in excessive trading is another habit that can also prevent clients from saving sufficiently. Investors should also take on enough risk in their portfolio to lock more than 2% in after-tax return to offset the impact of inflation.
The average Social Security retirement benefit amounts to $1,400, and many American workers are likely to live off on their benefit payouts throughout retirement, according to this article on Fox Business. Social Security benefits and other retirement income aren't subject to state taxes in some cities. For example, clients relying solely on those benefits can still live comfortably in Palm Bay, Florida, Brownsville, Texas, Sun City, Arizona, and Spokane, Washington.
Employees are advised to evaluate their income and create a budget to determine whether they are within five to 10 years of retirement, according to this article on Kiplinger. They may also be in the retirement red zone if they can afford health insurance coverage on the open market until age 65 when they qualify for Medicare.
