How to pay for nursing home care: Retirement Scan

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

How to pay for nursing home care
Couples should engage in retirement planning that takes into account the cost of living in a nursing facility, according to this Forbes report. Retirees, researchers say, are more likely to stay in an assisted living home as they advance in age, with the odds increasing 1.4% per year, starting at age 65. The monthly cost of living in a nursing home is between $7,000 and $12,000, which means that retirees would spend at least $250,000 during their final years. Based on the U.S. Census Bureau, 70% of couples aged 65 and older only have $344,870 in net worth, indicating that they don't have enough to cover the cost of living in a nursing facility.

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How to improve your spouse's chances of a well-funded retirement
Couples should consider their spouses' retirement prospects when making decisions that involve their nest egg, according to this article from the Los Angeles Times. Research has found that women are more at risk of experiencing a drop in retirement income when their husbands die. To secure their spouses' retirement, couples should create the right strategy for claiming their retirement benefits, choose the right pension payout option, and determine the right time to start collecting their Social Security benefits.

Some friendly retirement tips for President Obama
Retirement savers stand to get valuable tips from President Barack Obama who is expected to leave the office later this year, according to this Motley Fool article. One of the retirement lessons people can learn from the President is to ensure they have saved enough for their golden years. They should also stay healthy, make smart decisions about retirement investing, and have a bucket list of activities to keep them busy in their golden years. President Obama also shows the wisdom behind downsizing, buying annuities, and maximizing their Social Security benefits.

How to put some muscle into your Roth 401(k)
Workers who participate in a 401(k) plan that has a Roth feature are advised to take advantage of this feature to increase their after-tax withdrawals from the plan in retirement, according to this MarketWatch article. Although making traditional 401(k) contributions provides upfront income-tax savings, contributing to Roth 401(k) could also mean long-term benefits that would offset the tax savings.

Financial decisions that will haunt you in retirement
Clients should focus more on prioritizing their retirement savings than their desire to financially help their children, according to this article on Kiplinger. Market volatility should not deter them from investing in the stock markets, which have provided about 10% in annual returns since 1926 based on historical data. Clients should also account for the possibility that they may stop working earlier than planned so they can prepare accordingly.

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Retirement readiness 401(k) Roth 401(k) Annuities Social Security
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