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Content Provided by Elisabeth Dawson, Copia Wealth Management & Insurance Services
When you hear the word retirement, do you immediately zone out and think, this doesn’t apply to me? If so, it’s time for a reality check! America is descending into a retirement crisis and avoiding the topic is almost a guarantee that you too will fall victim.
With the introduction of retirement savings plans in 1980s, the burden of funding and saving for retirement shifted from businesses to the individual. Employer pension plans became fewer and fewer as 401(k)s, 403(b)s, TSPs, 457 plans, and other savings plans were on the rise.
Fast forward to today: the majority of traditional pension plans have disappeared and millions of Americans are nearing retirement only to realize that the money they’ve worked so hard to save is simply not enough to live on for the rest of their life. Not only has the retirement lifestyle they’ve imagined evaporated, but many people are left wondering whether they can even retire at all!
That is why income is such a critical topic: when you control your income, you determine your reality in retirement.
People who save a significant amount in retirement accounts can be lulled into a false sense of security. They see a $1-$2 million account balance and assume there’s no way they could have a problem in retirement. The truth is, taxes and inflation will take a massive bite out of that balance. Of course, without a detailed income plan, most people will not realize the situation’s reality until it’s too late. That is how funding retirement has become such a crisis for so many people.
Has your current financial planner or wealth management advisor ever mentioned this to you before? I would venture to guess not. Why? They want you to continue trying to accumulate assets and keep your money in the stock market, riding the ups and downs, so they can continue making money regardless of whether you do or not.
If you are working with a financial consultant who has never discussed what your guaranteed income distribution will look like, either today or in the future, then you have the wrong financial professional.
You need a true comprehensive fiduciary financial advisor who has the expertise to guarantee your future income, no matter what happens to the economy or the stock market.
The most important thing to recognize is that you are the only one who will save, plan for and protect your financial future. You’re setting yourself up for failure if you assume that retirement planning is not something you need to think about today. Longevity and inflation are both increasing. How do you plan to make your money last as long as you do?
If you hope to enjoy retirement and live without the fear of running out of money, the time to act is now! Get your complimentary Retirement Income for Life Blueprint to discover the decisions you can make today to ensure that your future retirement is everything you deserve to enjoy.
You can learn more about strategies to create lasting lifetime income in Elisabeth’s book, Retirement By Design. Visit Retirementbydesignbook.com to get your copy.
Investment advice offered through Copia Wealth Management Advisors, Inc. Copia Wealth Management Advisors, Inc. is a registered investment advisor.
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