Could employees live off Social Security alone?

Our daily roundup of retirement news your clients may be thinking about.

Could clients live off Social Security alone?
Seniors cannot expect their Social Security to provide enough income to cover their needs in retirement, according to this article from the Washington Post. “Social Security isn’t a substitute for building a solid retirement base, and if you’ve still got time before you retire, consider looking for ways to shore up your savings,” says an expert. “Start by chipping in as much as you reasonably can to your employer’s retirement plan, especially if it comes with a matching contribution. ... The more you set aside now, the less pressure you’ll feel to make your Social Security benefits stretch.”

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This is what retirees would do differently if they could go back in time
Some retirees and pre-retirees say that if they were given a chance to go back in time, they would focus on what they could control, such as saving and investing, according to this article from Money. They also would maintain an emergency fund to prepare for unexpected life-changing events, such as a serious illness or adult children in need of financial help. New retirees and pre-retirees said that they would also pay attention to the personal side of retirement planning. "You need to think not just about your financial picture, but how to give your life a sense of purpose and meaning after you've stopped working," says a financial advisor.

1 critical mistake to avoid in retirement planning
Retirees should avoid the mistake of making investing decisions based on assumed average rate of return on their investments, writes an investment expert on Kiplinger. Instead, they should develop a prudent retirement plan that accounts for market volatility and can provide the desired income no matter how the market performs, writes the expert. To prepare for market volatility, investors should "measure the potential impact a market reversal may have on [their] plan" and "determine the rate of return [their] portfolio needs to provide sustainable income during retirement."

How to make retirement savings last a lifetime
Clients will not outlive their retirement nest egg if they know how to manage their distributions, according to this article on personal finance website Motley Fool. Experts say clients should take distributions first from their standard brokerage account before tapping into their tax-deferred retirement account and finally their Roth and other accounts that provide nontaxable income. Retirees also need to have a tax plan, especially those who have multiple sources of income with different tax treatment to minimize their tax bill.

Long-term stock investors may not be thinking long-term enough
While stocks are a better investment option than bonds for clients who are investing for the long term, investors may not be getting the returns they expect from their equities because the amount of time allotted for these investments are not enough, according to this article on MarketWatch. An investment analyst has found that while stocks outperform bonds in the long term, there were lengthy periods when bonds were better positioned and provided better yields.

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Retirement readiness Social Security Retirement withdrawals Social Security benefits Investment strategies
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