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Retirement Planning for Procrastinators

You’ve probably heard that you’re never too young to start saving for retirement. However, many of us have procrastinated or have had other priorities and debt come up that prevented us from putting more money aside for our future. Or maybe you tried to save but got hit with unexpected setbacks like a job loss or medical emergency.

You’re not alone. In a recent survey by GOBankingRates,¹ 1 in 3 Americans has saved $0 for retirement. And 23% have less than $10,000 saved.

Unfortunately, you can’t make up for lost time. But don’t give up — you do have options.

Any money you can set aside can help you make retirement more comfortable. Here are some suggestions for what you need to do to get back on track:

1. Stick to a Routine

The first step is to start saving regularly. Consistent savings, even in just small amounts, is the best way to ensure a retirement fund is growing. If money is put into high-yield accounts or invested wisely, compound interest on small savings can help produce a sizable nest egg.

2. Prioritize Changes That Have Long-Term Benefits

Upping retirement savings contributions is also necessary to catch up. If permitted by their 401(k) plan, people age 50 and over can make catch-up contributions of $6,000 to a traditional 401(k), for example, in addition to the regular $18,000 annual 401(k) contribution limit, according to the IRS.² Other retirement vehicles such as fixed indexed annuities can be good long-term investments with the potential for growth and protection of principal. Income annuities are specifically designed to create ongoing income for you in retirement.

Those nearing retirement can also help prepare for retirement by reducing spending and paying down debt, which will trim monthly expenses and enable them to stretch their savings further once they retire.

3. Save Like You’ll Retire Tomorrow

People who view retirement as something that is just around the corner can help themselves stay on top of their retirement contributions so that they don’t fall behind. By keeping retirement at the top of your financial priority list, it can become less of a far-off dream and more of a soon-to-be reality.

If you’re already near retirement, you may also need to adjust your expectations—having to work harder to set aside more savings and maybe even working longer.

Even though retirement may seem far away and you think that there is still plenty of time to begin saving, be sure to make retirement planning a priority. Take the first step to a comfortable retirement by contacting your financial advisor and setting up a meeting to discuss your options and the best financial tools for your portfolio.

¹GOBankingRates Survey, March 2016

²IRS: Retirement Topics – 401(k) and Profit-Sharing Plan Contribution Limits

The opinions voiced in this material are for general information only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual. To determine which investments or products may be appropriate for you, consult with your financial advisor.

The post Retirement Planning for Procrastinators appeared first on Smart Money Advisors.

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5 Things You Need to Know About Long-Term Care Insurance

Chances are you’ll live well into your 80s, your 90s, and possibly even longer. When you live a long life, the likelihood you’ll need long-term health care is greatly increased.

That’s why over 10 million Americans have purchased long-term care insurance.¹ Here are just a few things you should know:

1. You can decide where care is received. Long-term care insurance doesn’t just provide nursing home care. It can also provide home care for those who prefer to “age in place,” as well as adult day care, assisted living facilities and hospice centers.
2. The benefits can be flexible. Most long-term care insurance policies offer greater flexibility in the types of services available, such as covering the costs for installing grab bars or a wheelchair ramp, or purchasing a lift chair or hospital bed.
3. Family caregivers can be covered. Most policies provide caregiver training for family members. Other policies recognize family caregivers as informal caregivers, making their time and services reimbursable under the policy.
4. Couples can share coverage. Many long-term care insurance policies offer an optional benefit commonly known as “shared care,” which allows couples to share their coverage and maximize their benefits. It typically also includes a built-in protection to ensure a surviving spouse can still receive long-term care insurance benefits.
5. It’s not “just for older people.” While it’s a critical part of retirement planning and important protection for your later years, younger people also need long-term care as a result of accidents or illnesses. Plus, the younger you are when you apply for long-term care insurance, the better—making it more affordable.

Given that the cost of long-term care can quickly deplete your life’s savings, you should seriously consider adding long-term care insurance to your financial plan. Plus, there’s about a 70% chance you’ll need some type of long-term care after age 65.²

Be sure to learn more about long-term care insurance and why it’s a critical piece of retirement planning. Ask your financial advisor about these and other features and how it has helped their clients like it helped 250,000 families last year.³

¹Estimate from the American Association for Long Term Care Insurance (AALTCI)

²Genworth 2015 Cost of Care Survey

³Estimate from the American Association for Long Term Care Insurance (AALTCI)

The opinions voiced in this material are for general information only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual. To determine which investments or products may be appropriate for you, consult with your financial advisor.

The post 5 Things You Need to Know About Long-Term Care Insurance appeared first on Smart Money Advisors.

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Getting Your Affairs in Order

10 Steps for Creating a Smart End-of-Life Plan

End-of-life planning sounds like something you do towards the end of your life. But the reality is, no one knows what tomorrow will bring. If the worst were to happen, you wouldn’t want your family to be burdened with financial, legal and logistical problems. These 10 steps will help you get your affairs in order.

1. Have a will and update it periodically. The will designates executors, guardians and trustees. Your executor’s first task is to locate your will. To facilitate that, put the original in an envelope with your name and “Will” written on it. Then place the envelope in a fireproof metal box, file cabinet or home safe.
2. Have a health care directive (living will). A living will is a medical directive written in advance that sets forth your preference for treatment in the event of your inability to direct care. The document may be drafted to include when the directive should be initiated and who has the decision-making responsibility to withdraw or withhold treatment.
3. Have powers of attorney. The person you select as your financial and/or healthcare power of attorney should be your spouse or close friend or relative. Whoever you designate will be authorized to manage your affairs, typically financial ones, if you’re not able to handle them yourself.
4. Have life insurance. Having the right amount of life insurance coverage will help ensure that the dreams you have for your family will be realized even if you’re not there. Determining how much to buy can be complicated, so it’s important to seek assistance from an insurance professional.
5. Review beneficiary designations for your various financial accounts, including group and individual benefits like life insurance and 401(k)s. Check annually to ensure those named in your insurance policies and retirement plans are still relevant to your needs and wishes. Many people think that if they have a will, they are covered. However, beneficiaries designated in documents generally fall outside the scope of a will, so it is critical that you keep your policies and records updated.
6. Specify where important financial account information is located. It may sound like an obvious thing to do, but few people keep a list of where important records pertaining to their savings, retirement plans, college-funding plans, mortgage, and insurance reside. Keep a master list and review it annually.
7. Specify where important non-financial information and valuables are located such as marriage certificates, birth certificates, titles/deeds for the house/cars, passports, jewelry, safe deposit box key, items in storage facilities, etc.
8. Specify your final arrangements such as burial or cremation, where you want to be buried, whether you want to be an organ donor, etc.
9. Have a list of professionals who assist you with your family’s legal and financial affairs (insurance professional, attorney, accountant, etc.).
10. Explain to heirs how your trust works. Trusts are often a useful legal and estate-planning device for protecting assets from estate taxes and providing a vehicle to be sure survivors get proper administrative and investment advice and counsel. An attorney is the best source of information about the proper use of trusts and whether one would be appropriate for you.

To get a sense of your “end-of-life” needs, talk to your financial advisor. He/she can make sure you have the plans in place that you need to get your affairs in order.

Information for this article was provided by Life Happens, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping consumers make smart insurance decisions to safeguard their families’ financial futures: www.lifehappens.org.

The opinions voiced in this material are for general information only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual. To determine which investments or products may be appropriate for you, consult with your financial advisor.

The post Getting Your Affairs in Order appeared first on Smart Money Advisors.

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