Time to Up Your Game, Education’s the key, before and during retirement

While it may be time to stop earning, it’s not the time to stop learning.

Education and skill building are often cited as enablers of a good job and career, one that produces income, savings and retirement-directed assets. Accordingly, it’s astounding that neglect can cause these same attributes to erode or stop during retirement, a time of life that doesn’t generally forgive errors of omission. Through ongoing education and preparation – much of which is easily accessible and sometimes even f-r-e-e of cost – retirees can enhance their financial health and relieve their families of potential burdens. Three relevant topics are tax management, legal documentation and the principles of “safe money.” 

Retirees often find, and somewhat surprisingly, that taxes are typically the #1 expense in retirement. The initial and ongoing collision of multiple income sources and thresholds can create unexpected obligations that limit the retiree’s anticipated lifestyle or flexibility. The good news is that multiple remedies are available to address the damage and provide potential relief. These can include staging income over time and allocating funds to tax-favored products such as annuities or whole-life insurance. Retirees can easily find investment alternatives by seeking counsel from retirement specialists who conduct obligation-free seminars or workshops.

The mere mention of updated legal documents such as wills, trusts and medical directives can easily cause retirees to cringe. However, ongoing changes in their health and relationships necessitate adjustments to keep assets within family control and out of court-administered probate. Though documentation updates can cause worry or expense, it’s prudent to assertively take these measures.

Lifetime savers who’ve grown numb to market volatility and account fluctuations can benefit by learning and acting on “safe-money” allocations. Though centuries old, annuity products are unfamiliar to many retirees. Annuities can be the source of both growth and protection from loss in exchange for the risk exposure by the policy’s insurance company. Just as many retirees found education to be a source of empowerment early in their lives and careers, the principles of lifetime learning can pay financial and peace-of-mind dividends during retirement.