5 Common Spending Mistakes in the First 5 Years of Retirement (and How To Avoid Them)
Written by
Brooke Barley
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Rebekah Evans
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Retirement is supposed to be a relaxing time where you can enjoy the money you’ve saved and live out a life of leisure. Unfortunately, that plan can all fall apart if the right financial moves aren’t made. Here are the most common, yet destructive mistakes retirees make early on and the best ways to avoid them, according to experts.
Underestimating the Cost of Lifestyle
Because retirees have more time on their hands, they’ll be able to do more. However, the activities they choose to do might cost more than they’re budgeting for.
“Individuals anticipate their costs to decrease upon terminating work, however, travel, eating and home renovations tend to increase during the initial years,” said Yad Senapathy, founder and CEO of Project Management Training Institute.
Senapthy suggested that before retirement, couples track their spending for at least six months to get a really clear idea of how much they’ll need after they stop working.
Not Accounting for Inflation
Retirees’ money should last them for at least a couple decades. However, Senapathy said that sometimes, those planning for retirement don’t factor in the fact that prices will rise in that time period. He suggested that there be savings on hand to help cover rising costs.
“It is easy to establish a variable withdrawal plan and set up a cash reserve to cover one or two years,” Senapathay said. “This will relieve the pressure on markets and will decrease the temptation to over spend in bad times.”
Only Using One Investment Account
Matthew Koppelman, co-founder of Precision Wealth Planners, said he frequently encounters retirees who are only utilizing one account for their money. Koppelman said it’s better to spread your retirement savings among multiple investing accounts.
“This can help mitigate something called sequence of returns risk,” Koppelman said. “In plain English, sequence of returns risk means the order of your investment ups and downs matters when you start taking money out. If the market drops early while you are withdrawing, your account can shrink faster and may not recover.”
No Tax Planning
Taxes work a lot differently in retirement, but some people don’t know or plan for that. It’s important to know the tax implications of withdrawing and using retirement accounts before they’re used.
“Many retirees do not develop a plan for how each asset class will be spent and what the tax picture will look like throughout their lives, which can be very costly when compounded over time,” said Brendan Keating, wealth advisor. “The retiree may want to look at Roth conversions — the act of converting traditional pre-tax assets to after-tax assets — in order to smooth out their tax brackets during retirement.”
Forgetting About Healthcare Costs
Like taxes, healthcare also works differently in retirement and many retirees don’t fully account for that before they stop working.
“For those who retire before 65 and have to resort to Marketplace Healthcare plans, this can be expensive and most likely will cost more than their old employer plan,” Keating said.
Retirees should fully research their healthcare options and the costs before they’re off their employer plan so they can properly budget.
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