6 Smart Retirement Plan Investing Tips

If you haven’t put away money for retirement, now is the best time to start! The thought of saving enough money for those 30 plus years of retirement sounds daunting, but if you’re well prepared, you will have nothing to worry about.

Here are 6 tips that will help you with successful retirement plan investing.

1. Know Your Investment Options

There are many different ways you can invest your money. If you’re employed, find out what kind of retirement benefits your employer offers.

There are different types of retirement plans such as:

• 401(k)/403(b)/Company Plans

• Traditional/Roth IRAs

• And More!

As well as different types of portfolio investments such as:

• Mutual Funds

• Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs)

• And More!

It’s important to understand the risk/reward return when you’re building your portfolio. Generally, more aggressive (higher risk) investments may deliver higher average returns over time, however, this is offset by a higher potential for loss of principal compared to safer, more conservative investments. Generally, those nearing retirement will opt for a lower risk/lower return because they have less time to recover from loss.

2. Start Saving Early

It seems easy enough, but many people feel like they can’t start saving for retirement when they‘re younger because they’re not making enough. Here’s the thing—you don’t need to save 10% of your income right away. Start saving 3% and as your pay increases, gradually increase how much you’re investing.

The earlier you start saving, the more you will have in retirement. You will also have the time to invest more aggressively and should be able to recover from any loses.

3. Set Goals

Decide when you want to retire, what you want to do in retirement, and how much money you’ll need to live off that lifestyle.

For example:

• I want to retire at 65.

• I plan on paying off my house and all debt before retirement.

• I plan on traveling.

• I plan on having medical expenses.

• Based on my plans, I’ll need $48,000 per year in retirement.

• I estimate that I’ll live 20 years in retirement. Thus, I’ll need a minimum of $960,000 saved. Keep in mind that this does not take into consideration inflation, taxes, any changes to social security or investment earning rates, etc. It is also very likely that you could live longer than 20 years after you retire.

4. Keep Your Emotions in Check

Don’t let your emotions direct the way you deal with your investments. Understand that they will fluctuate—sometimes a lot, sometimes a little. If certain investments don’t seem to be doing well, look for another one.

5. Know Your Fees

All investment companies have expenses for the services that they provide. Unfortunately, most people do not know this because they haven’t been given complete and accurate value expense disclosure information. It’s a good idea to find out how much you are paying fees and search around for better options if you think they are too high.

6. Ask Questions

At Envoy, our service team is always available and happy to serve you. Please contact us with any investment questions you might have and we will be happy to direct you to the right answer.

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Looking for faith-based IRA options? The FaithBased IRA from Envoy Financial could be the perfect solution for you!

5 Factors That May Affect Your Retirement

It’s important to understand what can affect your retirement plan. Below are five factors that you should be aware of.

Inflation

• Reduces how much you can buy today, compared to last year

• Historically, inflation averages 3% annually

• Your investments need to keep pace with or outpace inflation

Investment Risk

• Determine how much potential gain you are aiming to achieve with your investments, understanding that also means you may potentially lose a similar amount

• More risk equals more volatility in returns and account values go up and down more

• Diversify your portfolio by allocating money to multiple asset classes so you are not totally exposed if one asset type (such as stocks) drops dramatically

Healthcare and long-term care expenses

• A number of studies show that the average 65-year-old couple can expect to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on healthcare in retirement

• The combination of increasing life expectancy and growing medical treatment costs can have a huge negative impact on savings

• Consider obtaining Long Term Care insurance

• The premiums can be significant, but having the coverage in place may help avoid disrupting your overall retirement planning strategy

Taxes

• Employer-sponsored and individual pre-tax accounts offer a variety of ways to receive tax breaks when making your retirement savings contributions

• Pre-tax contributions provide a current reduction in taxable income, and therefore a reduction in the taxes you pay each year as you are adding to your accounts

• Roth contributions are done on an after-tax basis, which does not provide a current year tax advantage but does allow you to make withdrawals on a tax-free basis in retirement

You

• Set goals for what your financial needs will be in retirement

• Evaluate your personal risk profile and asset allocation strategy

• Take full advantage of any employer matching contributions you may be eligible for

• Roll over assets from former employer plans rather than cashing out those accounts

• Seek out trusted professional guidance or use available self-help tools

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To access more information on retirement planning, go to Envoy’s Retirement Planning Education Suite.

Tips on Setting up a Successful Retirement Plan

Do you wonder if you’re taking the right steps towards a successful retirement plan? Here are some tips that can help you make sure you’re on track.

Know your starting point

• What are the balances in your existing 403(b), 401(k), IRA, or savings accounts?

• Do you own other assets which may be convertible to cash in the future?

• What is your current income level?

• Do you currently have or follow a household budget?

• Does your employer offer a retirement plan?

• What are you currently contributing toward retirement?

• Are you taking full advantage of any possible employer match?

• How much experience do you have with investing?

• What is the current asset allocation of your investment portfolio?

Set realistic goals

• How long do you have to save before retirement?

• Do you know how much money you need to save for retirement?

• How much risk are you comfortable taking with your investments?

• Do you expect major future changes to your income or expenses?

• How much can you realistically increase your contributions?

Avoid Pitfalls That May Reduce Savings Today and in the Future

• Set aside and maintain an emergency fund for unexpected expenses.

• Do not wait until late in your earnings years to start saving—start early.

• Once you start saving, continue the habit, even if it is a small amount.

• Avoid withdrawals during earning years, including loans and hardship distributions.

• When you leave an employer, rollover your assets—don’t cash out your account.

You do not have to do this on your own

• Discuss financial goals with your spouse and family.

• Review potential budget changes and opportunities to increase contributions.

• Read and learn to understand your account statements.

• Utilize professional advice from your investment providers when it is available.

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