Understand Your Strategies
“People who have a written Retirement Plan have a nest egg 445% bigger than non-planners.”
(HSBC, Future of Retirement Study, 2013)
There’s a number of academically proven strategies that most pre-retirees can benefit from incorporating into their plan. We want to make sure you understand the strategies available to make your retirement income efficient and sustainable for life!
Here at Her Retirement we’re continually staying abreast of the research on retirement and the strategies being recommended by the best minds in the industry. And this is coming from the academics and economists and then we rely on our solution providers to guide you in the implementation of these strategies.
Retirement planning is complex. We aim to make it easier and less stressful to get it right by connecting you to the right information at the right time, and then help you stay on track.
The Right Retirement Plan is More Than a 401(k) or an Investment Strategy
It’s actually a combination of several “retirement optimized” strategies. And they’re completely different than those used in the accumulation phase of life. And don’t let anyone tell you they’re not.
We believe that all pre-retirees need to include the following research-backed strategies in their plans: income distribution; investment management; tax efficiency; home equity; risk management (which includes long term care & healthcare); and estate planning. Their application is based on your retirement goals. They balance growth and protection in proper proportions and are stress tested to make sure you’ll have an efficient & sustainable income for life.
Each strategic component of a Her Retirement plan is designed to reduce the myriad of risks you may face in retirement. We’ve done years of research on what the retirement academics recommend for strategies that can have the biggest impact on making your income last throughout retirement, simply by planning and accounting for these risks. Afterall, life is good and retirement is better…if you don’t run out of money.
No More Guessing. Ever. Again.
The right retirement plan is based on data-driven analysis, academically proven retirement strategies and the expertise of a retirement planner (and other financial professionals) in our network.
There’s no room for hunches when it comes to Optimizing and Protecting your retirement income. When you plan with the qualified planners in our network, there’ll be No More Guessing. Ever. Again.
Part 1: Optimization
Based on the data extracted from a retirement income projection, you’ll want to first optimize your portfolio by deploying varying combinations of the below alpha efficient, Multi-Discipline Retirement Strategies based on your objectives, risk tolerance and needs.
Part 2: Protection
To properly protect your income and assets, you’ll want to deploy a number of risk management strategies. Always review your objectives, risk tolerance and unique needs to design the risk management portion of your overall retirement plan.
The BIG 5 Retirement Optimized Strategies Recommended by the Experts
1. Portfolio Risk Reduction
Reducing volatility in your portfolio is imperative to creating a sustainable retirement income for life. Properly combining a globally diversified stock portfolio, guarantee income annuities and principal protected FIAs can dramatically reduce portfolio risk and thereby increase portfolio survival (meaning not running out of money).
What the Research Says
2. Tax Efficient Income Distribution
There’s lots of myths and misinformation about retirement. It’s difficult to find reliable resources. We aim to change this. Our RetireMentors, researchers, instructors, content experts and affiliated advisors provide academically and mathematically proven information (and access to industry leading solutions) that you can count on.
What the Research Says
3. Social Security Optimization
Proper Social Security filing and maximizing this important income source can dramatically increase the probability of retirement success. Social Security income accounts for almost 33% of the average retirement income for retired Americans.
What the Researchers Say:
“Taking the right Social Security benefits at the right time can make a huge difference to a retiree’s living standard.” -Laurence Kotlikoff, professor of economics, Boston University
4. Alpha-Efficient Portfolio Management
Adding positive manger “Alpha Effect” to a retirement portfolio can increase portfolio survivability when withdrawing income. A high quality investment portfolio incorporating low-cost passive index funds with active money managers can potentially increase returns above a “passive only” strategy.
What the Research Says
5. Prudent Use of Home Equity in Retirement
Leading academic research indicates that the use of home equity in retirement can increase the probability of portfolio survival and also increase the legacy to loved ones.
Other Important Optimization Strategies
Reduced Portfolio Management Fees –
Fees are an issue in the absence of value. We believe our affiliated advisors and their complete retirement planning services provide a lot of value. That being said, while other advisors in the industry charge up to 2% to manage your portfolio, our affiliated advisors charge 50%-75% less than that! Because they are more efficient on many levels and because they leverage technology and have access to the best products in the industry, they’re actually able to offer more for less.
Behavioral Coaching –
People sometimes get taken in by media hype, greed-fear driven tactics and the marketing machine behind the big financial companies. Everyone has the temptation to chase returns and make uninformed, knee-jerk reactions as the volatile markets move up and down. In fact, these behaviors have been proven in numerous studies to negatively impact portfolios over the long term. Our affiliated advisor’s value is being your advocate to guide you (and keep you calm and on track), providing our experience and expertise while also presenting you with the facts based on academic research vs. hearsay. Their steady hand during turbulent times can have a significant impact on the long term survivability of your portfolio.
Evidence-Based Planning & Investing –
According to Robin Powell, a British journalist, “All too often we base our investment decisions on industry marketing and advertising or on what we read and hear in the media or on something else altogether.” Evidence-based retirement planning and investing is the idea that no advice should be given until it’s backed by reliable research and evidence, and shown to be effective over the long term. Thus, evidence-based advice requires a commitment to being a student for life, consistently staying abreast of academic research and best practices while protecting client’s best interests. Most advisors aren’t interested in this level of commitment or learning…it’s far easier to simply collect investments, fees and commissions and call it a day.
Risk Management (Income Protection) Strategies
Risk Management: Long Term Care –
The cost of long-term care is quickly emerging as the number one threat to income in retirement with nursing home care leading the way.
A person at age 65 has a 70% chance of needing some type of long term care during retirement, but fewer than 8% actually carry any type of long term care insurance.
Having a strategy in place to protect your assets should you or your spouse require long-term care is critical for preserving your lifestyle and your legacy. Her Retirement can analyze your needs for long term care, as well as provide some unique solutions for paying for a policy should you need one.
Risk Management: Estate Planning –
51% of Americans between 55 and 64 years old don’t have a will. Whether you’re married or single, a parent or childless, a millionaire or middle-income, you need a will and an estate plan.
One of the most precious gifts that you can give your children or grandchildren is to plan your estate. You’ve worked hard for everything that you have, this is why it is essential to make sure your assets are protected and that your loved ones, not the IRS, receive a large portion of what you leave behind. With a few simple steps and a little initiative, we can help you save your loved ones from the inconvenience and added expense of reclaiming your assets.
Risk Management: Medicare/Healthcare –
A Fidelity Consulting Service study conducted in 2010 concluded; “Health care is a big-ticket expense for most retirees. Out-of-pocket health care costs for the average 65-year-old couple can reach $250,000 over 20 years in retirement and nearly $500,000 over a 30-year retirement.”
It’s critical to work with an advisor who can help you navigate the Medicare maze and make sure your portfolio has healthcare costs integrated into your retirement income projections.
Risk Management: Life Insurance –
Another critical risk management component to your “protection” strategies is life insurance. Many people are under-insured, while many others are over-insured. Because we are insurance licensed, we are able to do a complete analysis of your life insurance needs based on several factors to make sure you have the coverage you need for your particular circumstances.