Key Points
When a man retires and time is no longer a matter of urgent
importance, his colleagues generally present him with a
clock.
- R.C. Sheriff
The days may be over when a gold watch is a somewhat ironic and
less-than-useful gift for a retiree. If the experts are on target,
retirement in the next century will scarcely resemble the
conventional image of lazy days spent on cruise ships and golf
courses. You might plan to open a business of your own. Or perhaps
you'll return to school for that graduate degree you never had the
chance to complete. Of course, you'll probably still find time to
sit back and put your feet up.
Creating a New Life Cycle
At the turn of the 20th century, the average life expectancy was
47 years. Today, the average American can look forward to about 78
years of life. What's more, the average life expectancy for today's
65-year-old has increased to 84, according to the National Center
for Health Statistics.
What's behind this trend? Some causes are obvious, such as
improved health care, both early on in the form of preventative
medicine and during the later years of life. Medical advances,
including hypertension drugs and hip replacements, allow older
Americans to remain active. Healthier lifestyles are also a
contributing factor.
"People are treating their bodies with greater respect," said Dr.
Sanford Finkel of the Buehler Center on Aging at Northwestern
University. "They're giving up smoking, learning to eat right, and
exercising regularly. Inevitably, these trends lead to healthier,
longer, more productive lives."
The result is a new way of thinking about age. In her best-selling
book, New Passages, Gail Sheehy argues that the "mid-life
passage" generally thought to take place at age 40 now occurs a
decade later. The period between ages 45 and 65 is no longer middle
and old age, according to Sheehy, but a "second adulthood."
Psychologist Ken Dychtwald, chief executive officer of Age Wave
Inc., a California-based consulting firm, also sees new lines being
drawn. Using his model, ages 25 to 40 represent young adulthood,
while ages 40 to 60 comprise a new stage known as "middlescence."
Next comes late adulthood (60 to 80), followed by old age (80 to
100), and very old age (100+).
But perhaps more important than the categories is the effect that
longer, healthier lives may have on the traditional life cycle of
education, work, and retirement. It will be replaced by a less
linear cycle, according to Dychtwald, who predicts short-term
retirements, followed by any combination of career shifts, part- or
flex-time work, entrepreneurial endeavors, and continuing education
peppered with occasional "mini-retirements."
Today's older American doesn't hesitate to change jobs - or
careers - in the pursuit of keeping life interesting. This trend
should accelerate. According to a study by the Bureau of Labor
Statistics, the percentage of Americans aged 65 years or older who
participate in the labor force is expected to increase from about
17% in 2008 to more than 22% by 2018.1
Plan for the New Retirement
So what does this redefined retirement mean to you? There is no
one answer. In the coming decades, "retirement" will mean something
different to each of us. Regardless of your decision, you'll need
to design a financial plan suited to your specific vision of the
future.
Retirement Income - A good starting point might
be to examine your sources of retirement income. If you pay
attention to the financial press, you've probably come across at
least a few commentators who speak in gloom-and-doom terms about
the future for American retirees, decrying a lack of savings and
warning of the imminent growth of the elderly population.
True, there is widespread concern about at least one traditional
source of income for retirees - Social Security. Under current
conditions, Social Security funds could fall short of needs by
2040, according to the Social Security Administration. But the
reality is that Social Security was intended only to supplement
other sources of retirement income. In fact, Social Security
benefits account for only 37% of the aggregate income of today's
retirees, according to the Social Security Administration.
Even pension plans, once considered a staple of retirement income,
only account for 17% of the retirement-income pie. In recent years,
employers have been moving from traditional defined benefit plans
based on salary and years of service to defined contribution plans,
such as 401(k) plans, funded primarily by the employees.
This shift makes it even more important for individuals to
understand their goals and have a well-thought-out financial plan
that focuses on the key source of retirement income: personal
savings and investments. Given the potential duration and changing
nature of retirement, you may want to seek the assistance of a
professional financial planner who can help you assess your needs
and develop appropriate investment strategies.
As you move through the various stages of the new retirement,
perhaps working at times and resting at others, your plan may
require adjustments along the way. A professional advisor can help
you monitor your plan and make changes when necessary. Among the
factors you'll need to consider:
Time - You can project periods of retirement,
reeducation, and full employment. Then concentrate on a plan to
fund each of the separate periods. The number of years until you
retire will influence the types of investments you include in your
portfolio. If retirement is a short-term goal, investments that
provide liquidity and help preserve your principal may be most
suitable. On the other hand, if retirement is many years away, you
may be able to include more aggressive investments in your
portfolio. You will also need to keep in mind the number of years
you may spend in retirement. Thirty years of retirement could soon
be commonplace, requiring a larger nest egg than in the past.
Inflation - Consider this: An automobile with a
price tag of $20,000 today will cost $29,600 in just 10 years,
given an inflation rate of just 4%. While lower-risk fixed-income
and money market investments2 may play an important role
in your investment portfolio, if used alone they may leave you
susceptible to the erosive effects of inflation. To help your
portfolio keep pace with inflation, you may need to maintain some
growth-oriented investments. Over the long-term, stocks have
provided returns superior to other asset classes.3 But
also keep in mind that stocks generally involve greater short-term
volatility.
Taxes - Even after you retire, taxes will remain
an important factor in your overall financial plan. If you return
to work or open a business, for example, your tax bracket could
change. In addition, should you move from one state to another,
state or local taxes could affect your bottom line. Tax-advantaged
investments, such as annuities and tax-free mutual funds, may be
effective tools for meeting your retirement goals. Tax deferral
offered by 401(k) plans and IRAs may also help your retirement
savings grow.
Prepare Today for the Retirement of Tomorrow
To ensure that retirement lives up to your expectations, begin
establishing your plan as early as possible and consider consulting
a professional. With proper planning, you can make retirement
whatever you want it to be.
Points to Remember
- As people live longer and healthier lives, retirement begins to
take on a whole new look.
- You'll need to develop a financial plan suited to your specific
vision of the future.
- Under current conditions, Social Security funds could fall
short of needs by 2040.
- You will need to rely on your own personal savings and
investments for the majority of your income in retirement.
- Keys to determining your financial plan are time, inflation,
and taxes.
1Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, November
2009.
2An investment in a money market fund is not insured or
guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any
other government agency. Although the fund seeks to preserve the
value of your investment at $1.00 per share, it is possible to lose
money by investing in the fund.
3Past performance is no guarantee of future results.
© 2011 McGraw-Hill Financial Communications. All rights
reserved.
