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How Much Should I Be Saving For My Retirement?

Posted on July 11, 2014 Facebooktwittergoogle_pluspinterestlinkedinrss

This article was first published in Talk Magazine Shanghai July 2014 edition.

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From experience, most of us have little idea how much we need to save for life’s longest vacation, and therefore most of us are grossly under saving. According to a recent study, in the US, only 36 per cent of Americans, who are 55 years of age or older, have $10,000 or more put aside for retirement. Unfortunately, in that case, this means that a large majority of baby boomers may never be able to retire.

There are a number of rules of thumb to follow to determine how much you need to save annually to reach your goal. Some rules focus on a percentage of your income you need to put aside, for example, 10 to 15 per cent. Other rules try to estimate what you need at retirement, and work backwards to determine an annual contribution. Fidelity recommends that one would need at least eight times their final salary to be able to fund 25 years of retirement. So if you estimate your final salary to be in the area of $150,000, you would need a lump sum of $1,200,000.

Another rule we often see is the four per cent rule. The four per cent rule guides how much you should withdraw annually once you’re retired. As the name implies, this rule of thumb says you should withdraw four per cent of your retirement portfolio the first year, and then in the subsequent years the same amount adjusted for inflation. So, if you estimate you would need to spend $80,000, adjusted for inflation, in the first year of retirement you would need a lump sum in the area of $2,000,000 ($80,000 divided by four per cent). If you are 35 years of age and are just starting to put money aside for this need, you should save around $1,800 per month using a six and a half per cent annual rate of return.

As with any rule of thumb, it won’t be precise for your situation, but it is a starting point. As everyone’s situation is different, you will need to do some legwork to figure out your particular needs and lifestyle
you desire to have at retirement. But you must be realistic when you picture yourself retiring. What are the items that make
your retirement ideal? Do see yourself traveling the world? Are you planning to live overseas? Do you enjoy drinking fine wine and playing a regular game of golf? Even more importantly, will you be eligible for your country’s healthcare benefits? Healthcare is by far the largest retirement cost and without national healthcare benefits, your savings can quickly disappear if you need a major procedure.

Even if you put a lot of thought and planning into how much you need for retirement, it is more than likely that something unexpected will happen between now and when you plan to retire. There may be a major downturn in the economy, your children may need to move back home or perhaps you or your spouse will have health issues later in life that will prevent you from saving. You should take time to calculate how much you need to start saving. The more you save now, the better you will be able to weather the unexpected later in life.

 How much should i be saving for my retirement

 

 

 

 

Bill Longstreet has been a financial advisor since 2003 and prior to this were a institutional business development director, specializing in fixed income and foreign exchange markets. Bill has a Master in Business Administration with a concentration in Finance (1999) from the Olin School of Business at Washington University in St. Louis and am a candidate for the CFP (Certificate Financial Planner) qualification. He also holds a Bachelor of Arts with a Major in Economics from Denison University. In his last position before joint Caterer Goodman oversaw $350 million in client funds across a range of currencies and risks profiles.

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1 Comment

  • James says:

    Hello,
    First of all, thank you to all at Caterer and Goodman who have helped to produce this great blog. It is well written and provides some very useful advice to members of the expat community. For me personally, it has been rewarding and pleasurable to read.

    Your website states that you’re interested in future blog post ideas, thus is the reason for this message.

    ‘The Emergency Fund, where are the best places to put your money’ – for (relatively) small pots of cash, what are the best savings rates available here in China.

    Keep on writing. Thank you again.

    Warmest regards,

    James

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