4 Strategies to Grow Your Finances in Retirement

(BPT) – Retirement is the time in your life when you can throw off the shackles of your daily responsibilities and truly enjoy the fruits of everything you spent years working toward. It’s an empowering feeling and you’ve earned it. You’ve planned and you’ve saved, but now that you’re here, don’t make the mistake of believing your financial planning is over.

In fact, in some ways, it has only begun.

On the day you enter retirement, your financial focus shifts, but its importance doesn’t diminish. As a retiree, taking an annual review of your finances is more important than ever. You deserve to live the retirement you want. To be sure your finances are up to the task, here are a few specific items to review in your annual post-retirement financial checkup.

1. Life expectancy

When you first created your retirement plan, you likely discussed an end-of-life age with your adviser that you could use as a benchmark and plan toward. Now it’s time to revisit that age again and take an objective look in light of your overall health and any existing conditions you may have. And don’t be surprised if you find out you’re poised to live far longer than you expected all those years ago. It’s great news, but it also means you must adjust your finances accordingly.

2. Life insurance

Look at your life insurance policy. You should take the time to determine if it is still needed or affordable now that you’ve entered retirement. As you review your life insurance policy, you may determine you don’t need it anymore because your children are no longer dependent on you and you have minimal outstanding debts. You may also find that the premiums have increased in recent years and the policy is too costly to maintain. If this is the case, you may want to sell it. It’s one less financial burden you need to worry about, and the influx of additional cash will be a welcome surprise.

It’s important to remember that your life insurance policy is your own personal property and you have the right to sell it, just as you would any other financial assets or physical possession. The sale of your policy to a third-party investor is known as a life settlement transaction, and selling the policy could bring you as much as seven times the amount you would earn for surrendering it. Typical candidates for a life settlement transaction are age 70 or older with a policy of $100,000 or more, according to the Life Insurance Settlement Association (LISA).

3. Asset allocation

During your working years, you probably reviewed your assets several times, and you may have even done some rebalancing to ensure you had the right mix of bonds, stocks and cash in your financial portfolio. But this practice doesn’t end simply because you’ve entered retirement. Look at your assets and take the opportunity to rebalance – just as you did during your working years – to ensure your money is meeting both your short-term needs and your long-term goals.

4. Home equity

Your home is often your most valuable asset. If you own the home where you live, take a moment to assess the amount of equity you have tied up in it. This may be the perfect time to downsize. You could also consider a reverse mortgage, which would allow you to convert some of the equity in your home into cash you could use for other needs. The money you acquire through a reverse mortgage or through the sale of your home via downsizing could then be used to invest in a fixed-income investment – such as annuities or bonds – that will provide ongoing income.

Enjoy retirement on your terms

Your working years may have ended, but your financial management is ongoing. Whether you manage your money yourself or you work with a financial adviser, take charge of your retirement by revisiting your assets and your options. Remember, you’ve worked hard for your retirement, and with a few small changes along the way, you have the ability to make it even greater.

To learn more about life settlements, how they work and whether you’re eligible, call 888-521-8223 or visit the LISA’s website at www.lisa.org.

Sponsors

Ticker

Learn to Network

Business Networking International (BNI) Sound Networking meets Each Wednesday 7:00 – 8:30 AM at Frog Ponds Cafe

Meet local business people and find out how networking is one of the most effective methods for marketing your business.
Visitors are always welcome, just call ahead to let us know you are coming 519-371-2622.

Business Enterprise Centre Workshops

Basics of Bookkeeping (Three part workshop)
Tuesday September 19th and 26th and Tuesday October 3rd, 6:30 pm – 9:30 pm
Business Enterprise Centre Training Room $95 (HST included)
Facilitator: Jane Gallagher
This three part Bookkeeping Workshop will allow you to use the tools and information to confidently understand your financial statements and your own books. Class size is limited to 8 to allow a hands-on, individual learning opportunity for everyone.

Business Enterprise Centre Workshops

How to “Really” Start a Business
Wednesday September 20th, 9:00 am – 11:30 am, Bayshore Community Centre
FREE – Pre-registration is required
Facilitator: Cliff Bilyea
Discover the basic steps involved in starting a business, evaluating your idea, determining your market and basic rules and regulations. Attending the is workshop is mandatory for anyone applying to the Starter Company Plus Program.

Business Enterprise Centre Workshops

Introduction to Quick Books (Two part workshop)
Tuesday October 17th and 24th, 6:30 pm – 9:30 pm
Business Enterprise Centre Training Room, $80 (HST Included)
Instructor: Jane Gallagher
The first session of Quick Books provides participants with an overview and access to a trial version of the program. The second session will be questions and answers to address specific issues. Knowledge of basic bookkeeping principles is required. Limited to 8, you must bring your own laptop. (This workshop does not cover the online version of Quick Books)

Contact

Phone: 519 371 7464
Fax: 519 371 4043
Site: gbbj.biz
Email: editor@gbbj.biz
Address: 1240 2nd Ave E
Owen Sound, ON N4K 2J3

Subscribe to Our Newsletter