Investing for retirement is one of the most important life stages to plan for. Even though planning for this time of your life is so important, many people still make major mistakes in their retirement investing moves. What are these Retirement Investing Mistakes, and how can you avoid them?
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Ignoring the Need to Plan
This one may seem obvious. But not only should you have an end retirement goal in mind, you also must set milestones for yourself. You will never be able to reach the grand goal of retirement without reaching several other smaller goals along the way.
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Putting All Your Eggs in One Basket
With any sort of investment, you are going to take on some level of risk. However, a good investment advisor will spread your money throughout several different reliable investments. If you place all your money in one investment type and it tanks, you stand to lose it all at once. Spreading it around is much safer. This way you will make a profit, but have a safety net. How is this the case? If one of your investments fails, your other investments will be there to break your fall.
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Not Rebalancing Regularly
Just because your investments are perfectly balanced now, does not mean you do not have to do anything with them ever again. Retirement investing is not a one and done deal. It is important for you to regularly check your account balances and make adjustment as necessary.
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Keeping too Much Cash
Saving your money is important, but you also want to allow your money to grow. While you do want to keep some of your assets liquid and easily accessible, you do not want to keep an excessive amount. Work with an investment advisor who can help you create a system that will allow your money to grow for you.
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Not Saving Sufficiently
You should start saving for retirement in your early 20s. During this time, you should strive to set aside 10% of your income for savings. When you reach your 30s you should increase your savings to 15%, and increase again to 20% in your 40s. Saving is so important because this is the money that is going to fuel your investment accounts.
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Taking Social Security at 62
By taking at social security at 62 you are giving yourself a big disadvantage. By filing at 62 you will automatically reduce your monthly benefit by 25%. Even though getting your money sooner may seem like a good idea now, it can greatly reduce your income overall.
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Keeping the Default Fund in Your 401(k)
401(k) plans typically offer several different funds that you can choose to place your money in. If you leave your money in the default plan, you may just be leaving your money sitting there as cash. If this is the case, you are missing the opportunity to grow what you are contributing to.
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Assuming Your Expenses Will Go Down in Retirement
Not only are you going to deal with inflation, you will also need to factor in increased health care costs. You also should factor in the amount of traveling that you desire to do during your retirement. A lot of people do end up using some of their retirement savings to take themselves on a trip to see the world.
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Over-Estimating the Return You Will Get from Your Portfolio
Expecting high returns from your retirement investment accounts is a dangerous trap to fall into. Do not fool yourself into thinking you should save less due to your accounts possible performance. Have realistic expectations and estimates that will help you to plan correctly for your retirement.
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Do It Yourself Retirement Investing
Investing is complicated. When you add the layer of long term investing it gets even more complicated. Not to mention there are several layers involved, such as taxes, estate planning, and insurance. Employ a professional who can help you to come up with a complete retirement plan and help you put that plan into action.
These are only a few things that you will want to avoid while you are planning for your retirement. You will meet many unexpected surprises on your path to retirement. Do not leave your future up to chance, get someone to help you on the path to a successful retirement.