Safe Retirement Income

Your Retirement Depends on It

Tim Barton, Chartered Financial Consultant

Pepin Wisconsin
715-220-4866

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Teaching Grandkids about Money… Money Does Not Grow on Trees

At this point in our lives we’ve raised our own kids and hopefully, the values we struggled to impart before they left home have become part of their family lives.  Now they’re raising our grandchildren and like us when we were new parents our kids will try to bring all of their life lessons into the mix.  The hard part, at times,  at least for me, is to keep my mouth shut not give unasked for advice.  Does anyone else have that problem?

This narrows my options to just setting the best example I can no matter the subject matter.  When it comes to money and finances.  Money does not grow on trees.

  • Young children can understand the concept of money.  When I take them out and we’re going to buy a little something like an ice cream I give them the money to pay for it.   This teaches them money is exchanged for things we want.
  • Save all my “change” for grandkids. I split up this money into 3 coin purses for each kid marked 20% for savings,  10% sharing, and all the rest for whatever they want. (with parent’s permission of course)   The savings are used for their bigger desires/wants. The sharing can be used to buy things like ice cream, candy bars and other treats for the family on outings or they will deposit it into Salvation Army kettles or other charitable containers found at the checkouts.  Elementary school age is a good time to start.
  • Demonstrate to the grandkids how to reach a savings goal.  Show them how saving X amount of their money each month and in how many months this money will equal an amount needed to buy a computer game, book or whatever.
  • When the grandkids are coming for a barbeque, a couple like to help cook.  We plan a menu, make a list of needed ingredients, figure out the budget (money to purchase listed items) and go to the store.  As we pick things out we discuss pricing,  brand names and how to evaluate the best deal.
  • Needs versus wants concept is very important throughout life for all of us.  As they age and gain understanding there are things associated with my hobbies that reflect needs versus wants which make good subject matter for discussion with my grandkids. Particularly an activity they have an interest in, like fishing for example.

These are just a few examples of actions and conversation points  I use to demonstrate how to use money with my grandkids.  Actually, I did the same things with their parents as they grew up and remember how I appreciated any support from other adults.  As a grandpa, I just wait for the “teachable” moment or when the conversation flows that way.  To be effective today’s kids are no different than yesterday’s kids- the brains shut off during “the talk”.

Need more ideas?  Download my PDF booklet

“Money Doesn’t Grow on Trees…  Teaching Kids about Money”

Download Teaching Kids about Money booklet here

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Odds of Surviving Critical Illness Dramatically Increase

Odds of Surviving Critical Illness Dramatically Increase

With advances in medical treatment and technology, many people now survive critical illnesses that would have been fatal in the past.  As a result of this increased life expectancy senior Americans have the opportunity to watch grandkids grow into adulthood and start families of their own.  Enjoying some great grandkids is a real possibility.

Some unhappy news; many retirees will at some point become critically ill as the following statistics demonstrate.  The need for planning in order to avoid becoming destitute is more important than ever.

Cancer:

  • Men have a slightly less than 1 in 2 lifetime risk of developing some form of cancer. For women, the lifetime risk is a little more than 1 in 3.
  • Between 2002 and 2008, the 5-year relative survival rate for all cancers was 68%, up from 49% in 1975 – 1977.
  • It is estimated that over 1.6 million new cancer cases were diagnosed in 2013.

(Source: Cancer Facts and Figures 2013; American Cancer Society)

Heart Disease:

  • An estimated 80 million Americans have one or more types of heart disease.
  • Each year, an American will suffer a heart attack about every 34 seconds.
  • The lifetime risk for cardiovascular disease at age 40 is 2 in 3 for men and more than 1 in 2 for women.
  • It is estimated that the total costs of cardiovascular diseases in the U.S. was over $448 billion in 2008.

(Source: Heart Disease Facts, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, July 2013)

Stroke:

  • Someone in the United States has a stroke every 40 seconds.
  • Stroke is a leading cause of serious, long-term disability in the U.S.
  • It is estimated that Americans paid about $38.6 billion in 2010 for stroke-related medical costs and lost productivity.

(Source: Stroke Fact Sheet, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, July 2013)

Will you have sufficient funds available to pay for:

  • Any insurance co-payments and deductibles;
  • Alterations to your home and/or automobile to meet any special needs;
  • Out-of-town transportation and lodging for medical treatment;
  • Treatments not covered by traditional health insurance; and/or
  • Shorter-term home health care during your recuperation?

Surviving critical illnesses increase our life expectancies, we will live longer than ever before.  At the same time, fortunately annuity ownership is rising  An annuity is the only guaranteed financial  hedge against longevity.  More than ever a retiree’s goal should be lifetime income not just income for 20-30 years.

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7 Methods to Avoid Probate

Probate is simply the Latin word for prove, which means that the estate probate process is the process by which your will is brought before a court to prove that it is a valid will. The courts charged with this responsibility are generally known as probate courts, which may actually supervise the administration or settlement of your estate.

Supervision of the estate settlement process by the probate court can result in additional expense, unwanted publicity and delays of a year or more before heirs receive their inheritance. The publicity, delays and cost of probate motivate many people to explore ways in which to avoid or minimize the impact of probating a will, including:

  1. State Statute If specific requirements are met, many states have made provision for certain estates to be administered without the supervision of the probate court, resulting in less cost and a speedier distribution to heirs.
  2. Form of Property Ownership The joint tenancy form of holding title to property allows ownership to pass automatically to the surviving joint tenant, who is normally the surviving spouse.
  3. Transfer on Death Many states have enacted Transfer on Death statutes that allow a person to name a successor owner at death on the property title certificate for certain types of property, including real estate, savings accounts and securities.
  4. Life Insurance Unless payable to the estate, life insurance proceeds are rarely subject to the probate process.
  5. Lifetime Giving Gifts given during life avoid the probate process, even if made shortly before death.
  6. Trusts A “Totten” trust, which is a bank savings account held in trust for a named individual, can be used to pass estate assets at death outside of the probate process.
  7. A revocable living trust, created during the estate owner’s lifetime, can be an effective way to avoid the expense and delay of probate, while retaining the estate owner’s control of his or her assets prior to death.

Proper planning may serve to minimize the impact of the probate process on your estate and heirs.

Any potential method of avoiding probate, however, should be evaluated in terms of its income and/or estate tax consequences, as well as its potential impact on the estate owner’s overall estate planning goals and objectives.

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Difficult Pension Benefit Decision

At retirement, if you have a pension, you have to make a difficult decision that could negatively impact your future financial security and that of your spouse.  Most people with company pension plans give this decision little thought and simply select the first payout option listed on their pension estimate; Joint and Equal Survivor Option.

For example, assume your maximum lifetime pension benefit is $2,000 monthly.

With the joint and equal survivor option, you’ll receive a significantly lower lifetime pension payment. Your surviving spouse, however, will continue to receive 100% of your pension benefit if you die first.

  • For as long as you live, you receive 75% of $2,000 the maximum life income option benefit.  Your benefit is reduced to $1,500 per month, for life.
  • If you die first, your spouse will receive a lifetime monthly pension benefit equal to 100% of your benefit, or $1,500 per month.
  • If your spouse dies first you will continue to receive $1500 per month.  There is generally no going back to the maximum $2,000 benefit. 

Second choice is  – Joint and One-Half Survivor Option:

If you elect the joint and one-half survivor option, you’ll receive a lower lifetime pension payment. On the other hand, if you die first, your surviving spouse will continue to receive a lifetime pension benefit equal to 50% of your pension benefit prior to your death. For example:

  • For as long as you live, you receive a monthly pension benefit of $1,700 or about 85% of the maximum life income option benefit.
  • If you die first, your spouse will receive a lifetime monthly pension benefit equal to 50% of your benefit, or $850 per month.
  • If your spouse dies first, however, your monthly pension benefit remains at $1,700.

Next choice is – Life Income Option:

If you receive your pension benefit under the life income option, you receive the maximum lifetime pension payment. If you die first however, your surviving spouse receives nothing after your death. For example

  • For as long as you live, you receive a monthly pension benefit of $2,000.
  • If you die first, however, your spouse will receive a monthly pension benefit of $0.
  • If your spouse dies first, your monthly pension benefit remains unchanged at $2,000.

At retirement, you will have to decide how your pension benefit will be paid out for the rest of your life:

  • If you elect to receive the maximum retirement check each month for as long as you live, with the condition that upon your death, your spouse gets nothing.
  • If you elect to receive a reduced retirement check each month, with the condition that upon your death, your spouse will continue to receive an income.
  • This pension decision is permanent.
  • The decision you make will determine the amount of pension income you receive for the rest of your life.
  • The decision is generally irreversible.
  • In making this decision, many people unknowingly purchase the largest death benefit (life insurance) they will ever buy and one over which they have no control.

How Can Retirement Income Protection Help Solve the Pension Benefit Dilemma?

Federal law allows a pension plan participant to waive the “joint and survivor” annuity payout requirement, with the written consent of his or her spouse.  This means that, with your spouse’s consent, you can elect to receive the MAXIMUM life income annuity payout at your retirement.

  • However, what happens to your surviving spouse’s income and lifestyle if you should die first?

The solution, you maintain sufficient life insurance to replace the pension income lost at your death, assuring that your spouse will have an adequate source of income after your death.  This is a death benefit you control and if your spouse predeceases you the life insurance can be surrendered paying you back part or all of your premiums;  Depending on when death occurred.

In making this important decision, you should evaluate the risks associated with retirement income protection funded with life insurance:

  • Your income after retirement must be sufficient to ensure that the life insurance policy premiums can be paid and coverage stay in force for your lifetime. Otherwise, your spouse may be without sufficient income after your death.
  • If your pension plan provides cost-of-living adjustments, will upward adjustments in the amount of life insurance be needed to replace lost cost-of-living adjustments after your death?
  • Does your company pension plan continue health insurance benefits to a surviving spouse and, if so, will it do so if you elect the life income option?

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Freedom Horse and Retirement

The horse (Mariska) in this video has been dubbed “Houdini Horse”. What’s not like about a horse or anyone else’s desire for freedom?

The lust for freedom is a natural yearning programmed right into the core of our DNA. Over time life experiences such as raising a family and career may have dulled this desire. However, I don’t think the desire to be free and do what you want on your own schedule ever goes away.

When I am asked “What is number one motivation to retire?” The soon to be retirees I work with express a desire to get off the treadmill, stop producing for someone else, travel when they want or to simply reassert control of their daily schedule. Everyone who works has a vision of their perfect retirement which almost always includes maximum personal freedom.

Apparently Mariska A.K.A. Houdini Horse not only wants personal freedom she wants freedom for all her companion horses as well.

The market crashes and low interest rates during the last decade have put serious crimps in many retirees’ personal retirement freedom. Some have had to work part time jobs others have had to cut back their spending in order to keep the household budget balanced, crimps to retirement freedom.

Unfortunately many financial planners are still using outdated retirement income models from the 90’s and because these models do not work in the “new normal” they are exposing their client’s retirement freedom to unnecessary risk. As I have written in several posts it does not have to be this way. The tools are available to help retirees maintain retirement freedom.

Comment below or privately Contact Tim Barton

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4% Rule or a Lifetime Income Annuity

Outliving one’s assets is a major concern for today’s retirees. One common approach to address this concern has been the “4% rule,” which is a generally accepted rule of thumb in financial planning for retirement income. It says to withdraw no more than 4% of an asset in retirement annually, and then increase the withdrawn amount by 3% each year to help offset the effects of inflation. Many believe the 4% rule provides a strong likelihood for retirement assets to last 30 or more years.

One problem with the 4% rule is that it does NOT GUARANTEE you won’t run out of money. In fact, with today’s historic market volatility and longer life expectancies, it’s predicted that up to 18 out of 100 people WILL RUN OUT OF MONEY in retirement using the 4% rule.

What if there was a different strategy that could provide the same amount of retirement income as the 4% rule and might even require fewer assets to do so? Additionally, this strategy would protect your income from market loss and GUARANTEE that income would last throughout your lifetime.

This strategy exists today and can be implemented using a fixed index annuity with a guaranteed lifetime income benefit or a secure lifetime retirement income annuity.

For help you may ask questions in the comments

Or contact me privately here: Tim Barton Chartered Financial Consultant