Decumulate & Downsize

Most of your investing life you and your adviser (if you have one) are focused on wealth accumulation. But, we tend to forget, eventually the whole idea of this long process of delayed gratification is to actually spend this money! That’s decumulation as opposed to wealth accumulation. This stage may also involve downsizing from larger homes to smaller ones or condos, moving to the country or otherwise simplifying your life and jettisoning possessions that may tie you down.

Weekly wrap: Hope for those touched by Alzheimer’s, Hobbies that pay, taxes in Retirement

Posted By |

stillaliceBy Jonathan Chevreau

Families confronted with dementia may be encouraged by this New York Times article this week: Biogen reports its Alzheimer’s drug sharply slowed cognitive decline.

Fortunately, awareness of the scourge of dementia has been greatly raised by the success of the novel and then film, Still Alice, about a Harvard professor who suffers from early onset Alzheimer’s. The movie version debuted last autumn at the Toronto International Film Festival and Julianne Moore won an Academy Award for her performance.  Just before the Hub launched in November, our sister site ran this piece, entitled The downside of rising longevity: Dementia.

But on the plus side of extended longevity come the stories of those who found business or creative success only late in life. Check out this piece posted earlier this weekend in the Hub’s Encore Acts section: Hope for late-bloomer Boomers: Success as an Encore Act.

From the Good Financial Cents blog comes 16 hobbies that can actually make you money. We at the Hub have always thought it makes cents (sense) to turn an avocation into a vocation that pays. That’s the whole point of the Encore Acts section of the Hub.

At his Chicago Financial Planner blog, Roger Wohlner takes a look at Schwab’s entry into the robo-adviser space — Schwab Intelligent Portfolios: The Evolution of the Robo Adviser. Continue Reading…

Reflections From The Early Days Of Spending In Retirement, Part 3 — Taxes! 

Posted By |
patgass
Patricia Gass

By Patricia Gass, CPA

Special to the Financial Independence Hub

This week’s skill-testing question:

What’s The One Expense In Retirement That Most People Get The Least Satisfaction Out Of Spending?

Hint:

fireplaceI love a warm fire on a cold, snowy day. But that same fire, if not properly contained, can do  damage to anything in it’s way. Kind of like taxes.

Perhaps extreme to compare a roaring fire to taxes, but hear me out. Whatever goes into the fireplace (or to the government), you will never see (or spend) again.

Fortunately, much can be done with a little knowledge and planning. It’s useful to think of taxes as yet another, substantial retirement expense that needs to be managed.

Revisit/Understand Your Overall Financial Situation

At least 10 years before retirement, do some critical thinking about your finances.

Where will your retirement income and (cash flow) come from and when? What is the breakdown between “tax-paid” and “tax-deferred” money? Will your retirement cash flow be enough to meet your needs (or too much … a nice problem to have!)? How likely are you to receive an inheritance (or other money) that could push you into a higher tax bracket? Would it make sense to retire early and withdraw some funds sooner at a lower tax rate?

Know (And Plan For) Your Tax Rate Continue Reading…

At age 62, couple celebrating 25 years of Financial Independence

Posted By |
billy-akaisha-puerto-escondido
Billy and Akaisha Kaderli

By Billy and Akaisha Kaderli,

Special to the Financial Independence Hub

At the age of 62, we are beginning our 25th year of financial independence. That is quite a feat!

From the beaches on Nevis, West Indies, to the shores of Phuket, Thailand we have travelled extensively through these decades, and what a ride it’s been!

Young and strong in those early years, we were willing and able to tackle just about anything. Now we tend to be a bit more cautious but we’re not letting up. We still climb into the backs of pickup trucks, ride the chicken buses and soak in volcanic hot pools. The time has passed quickly from when we were the youngest, grayless couple in a group of retirees, to now where we blend in with the retiree crowd.

Still, no one can take away the dance we danced and we are filled with gratitude for all the miles and smiles. Continue Reading…

Is your Findependence action plan truly game-ready?

Posted By |
Adrian
Adrian Mastracci

By Adrian Mastracci, KCM Wealth Management Inc.

Special to the Financial Independence Hub

No doubt, investors want to be ready for retirement or what this site calls Financial Independence/Findependence.

The bigger question is whether the Retirement/Findependence plan of action is truly game ready for them.

Investors face a multitude of decisions in mapping their roadway to retirement. Preferably, a roadmap that withstands the tests of time. Especially for those who are at the retirement doorstep. Planning retirement is about setting the long-haul course of action to achieve a specific personal return. The course is more than selecting stocks and funds. Some cases may require a total financial makeover.

Start the process at least 15 to 20 years prior to actual Retirement/Findependence. Longer is desirable. Investors need to find that delicate balance between spending for today and saving enough for tomorrow. At age 60, the plan can easily span 25 to 30 years, possibly more. It’s also likely that few if any savings will be added to the portfolio after retirement begins. The nest egg has to sustain income draws for the lifetimes of two spouses.

At KCM, we have assembled five fundamental steps to improve your game plan readiness prospects: Continue Reading…

Twice as many retirees now rely on home equity: Fidelity survey

Posted By |

By Jonathan Chevreau

House made of money in handSeniors are now twice as likely  to rely on their home equity to fund their retirement than before the financial crisis, says a Fidelity retirement survey. They’re also more likely to work in retirement, provided they can find employment.

Since 2005, the number of Canadian retirees relying on home equity to fund retirement has more than doubled from 14% to 36%, says the survey, commissioned by Fidelity Investments Canada ULC.

Conducted by The Strategic Counsel, the 10th Fidelity Canadian Retirement Survey of retirees or workers 45 or older also finds:

•  Since the financial crisis, the number of retirees saying it has been more difficult than expected to retire has dropped from 28% in 2009 to 20% in 2014

• More pre-retirees expect to work full or part-time in retirement (62% in 2014 compared with 55% in 2005) Continue Reading…