There are few things we can control in life; we cannot control tax increases, inflation, crashes in the market, or unexpected health crisis.
What you can control is how you plan for the unexpected, which is imperative, especially when you are near or in retirement.
What you do with your assets that you have built up over the years will either give you hope that when one or more of the crises arise you will have enough money to last you and your spouse throughout your lifetime. When planned correctly, give you 100% protection to ensure that you have income for life even when the storms of life come upon you or when the government makes changes that have a detrimental effect on your retirement (such as the high probably chance of having your social security benefit reduced).
There is a saying “Income is the only outcome that matters” and that is what I plan for with my clients.
Allowing your assets to sit vulnerable to taxes, inflation, and market crashes are risky when you are in retirement because you no longer have the option to earn back the money you lose, nor the time to allow the market to “bounce back”.
What, however, if you had the opportunity to take your asset and place it into products that fight against inflation, protect you against market loss, and offer a benefit that helps you offset the cost of long-term care without the high cost of Long Term Care Insurance?
In retirement, you need to plan for three different stages of retirement life; the go-go years, slow-go years, and no-go years.
- The go-go years are the years at the beginning of your retirement where you may need the most income possible for increased travel and entertainment.
- The slow-go years, you may not need as much income as your spending drops due to not traveling as much or going out as much.
- The no-go years you may need another increase in income to help cover higher health care costs or long-term care cost.
By planning for the unknown, while preparing for the known, you can have a retirement that offers peace of mind. Then you can do what you are supposed to do in retirement; have fun, enjoy life, and do all the things you dreamt about while working.
