Warren Wealth Article Archive
Articles Posted During 03/2009
How Much Retirement Income?
Thursday 03/05/2009 - 9:36:36 pm
Many people underestimate lifestyle costs, medical expenses and inflation.
What is enough? What is not enough? If you're considering retiring in the near future, you've probably heard or read that you need about 70% of your end salary to live comfortably in retirement. This estimate is frequently repeated - but that doesn't mean it is true for everyone. It may not be true for you.
You won't learn how much retirement income you'll need by reading this article. You'll want to meet with me so we can work together to help you plan by estimating your lifestyle needs and short-term and long-term expenses.
That said, there are some factors which affect retirement income needs - and too often, they go unconsidered.
Health. Most of us will face a major health problem at some point in our lives & perhaps even multiple or chronic health problems. We don't want to think about that reality. But if you're a new retiree, think for a moment about the costs of prescription medicines, and recurring treatment for chronic ailments. These minor and major costs can really take a bite out of retirement income, even with a great health care plan. While generics have slowed the advance of prescription drug costs to about 1-2% a year recently,1 one estimate found that a 65-year-old who retired in 2007 would need $215,000 to pay for overall retirement health care costs - up about 7.5% from 2006.2
Heredity. If you come from a family where people frequently live into their 80s and 90s, you may live as long or longer. Imagine retiring at 55 and living to 95 or 100. You would need 40-45 years of steady retirement income.
Portfolio. Many people retire with investment portfolios they haven't reviewed in years, with asset allocations that may no longer be appropriate. New retirees sometimes carry too much risk in their portfolios, with the result being that the retirement income from their investments fluctuates wildly with the vagaries of the market. Other retirees are super-conservative investors: their portfolios are so risk-averse that they can't earn enough to keep up with even moderate inflation, and over time, they find they have less and less purchasing power.
Spending habits. Do you only spend 70% of your salary? Probably not. If you're like many Americans, you probably spend 90% or 95% of it. Will your spending habits change drastically once you retire? Again, probably not. Most people only change spending habits in response to economic necessity or in pursuit of new financial goals. People don't want to "live on less" once they have had "more".
Social Security (or lack thereof). In 2005, SSI represented 39% of a typical 65-year-old retiree's income. But by 2030, Social Security may only replace 29% of that income, after deductions for Medicare premiums and income taxes. Since 1983, retirees earning more than $25,000 in SSI have had to pay income tax on a portion of their benefits. This is all presuming Social Security is still around in 2030.
So will you have enough? When it comes to retirement income, a casual assumption may prove to be woefully inaccurate. Meet with me while you are still working to discuss these factors and estimate how much you will really need.
Jacob Warren
Woodbury Financial Services
111 West Port Plaza Drive, Ste 300, Saint Louis, MO 63146
(866) 463- 0752 ext. 52337 toll free, (314) 819-0464
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Securities and Investment Advisory Services offered through Woodbury Financial Services, Inc., Member FINRA, SIPC, and Registered Investment Advisor. Warren Wealth Management and Woodbury Financial Services, Inc. are unaffiliated entities
These views were written by Peter Montoya Inc., not the named Representative or Broker/Dealer, and should not be construed as investment advice. Neither the named Representative nor Broker/Dealer gives tax or legal advice. All information is believed to be from reliable sources; however, we make no representation as to its completeness or accuracy. Please consult your Financial Advisor for further information.
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What is enough? What is not enough? If you're considering retiring in the near future, you've probably heard or read that you need about 70% of your end salary to live comfortably in retirement. This estimate is frequently repeated - but that doesn't mean it is true for everyone. It may not be true for you.
You won't learn how much retirement income you'll need by reading this article. You'll want to meet with me so we can work together to help you plan by estimating your lifestyle needs and short-term and long-term expenses.
That said, there are some factors which affect retirement income needs - and too often, they go unconsidered.
Health. Most of us will face a major health problem at some point in our lives & perhaps even multiple or chronic health problems. We don't want to think about that reality. But if you're a new retiree, think for a moment about the costs of prescription medicines, and recurring treatment for chronic ailments. These minor and major costs can really take a bite out of retirement income, even with a great health care plan. While generics have slowed the advance of prescription drug costs to about 1-2% a year recently,1 one estimate found that a 65-year-old who retired in 2007 would need $215,000 to pay for overall retirement health care costs - up about 7.5% from 2006.2
Heredity. If you come from a family where people frequently live into their 80s and 90s, you may live as long or longer. Imagine retiring at 55 and living to 95 or 100. You would need 40-45 years of steady retirement income.
Portfolio. Many people retire with investment portfolios they haven't reviewed in years, with asset allocations that may no longer be appropriate. New retirees sometimes carry too much risk in their portfolios, with the result being that the retirement income from their investments fluctuates wildly with the vagaries of the market. Other retirees are super-conservative investors: their portfolios are so risk-averse that they can't earn enough to keep up with even moderate inflation, and over time, they find they have less and less purchasing power.
Spending habits. Do you only spend 70% of your salary? Probably not. If you're like many Americans, you probably spend 90% or 95% of it. Will your spending habits change drastically once you retire? Again, probably not. Most people only change spending habits in response to economic necessity or in pursuit of new financial goals. People don't want to "live on less" once they have had "more".
Social Security (or lack thereof). In 2005, SSI represented 39% of a typical 65-year-old retiree's income. But by 2030, Social Security may only replace 29% of that income, after deductions for Medicare premiums and income taxes. Since 1983, retirees earning more than $25,000 in SSI have had to pay income tax on a portion of their benefits. This is all presuming Social Security is still around in 2030.
So will you have enough? When it comes to retirement income, a casual assumption may prove to be woefully inaccurate. Meet with me while you are still working to discuss these factors and estimate how much you will really need.
Jacob Warren
Woodbury Financial Services
111 West Port Plaza Drive, Ste 300, Saint Louis, MO 63146
(866) 463- 0752 ext. 52337 toll free, (314) 819-0464
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Securities and Investment Advisory Services offered through Woodbury Financial Services, Inc., Member FINRA, SIPC, and Registered Investment Advisor. Warren Wealth Management and Woodbury Financial Services, Inc. are unaffiliated entities
These views were written by Peter Montoya Inc., not the named Representative or Broker/Dealer, and should not be construed as investment advice. Neither the named Representative nor Broker/Dealer gives tax or legal advice. All information is believed to be from reliable sources; however, we make no representation as to its completeness or accuracy. Please consult your Financial Advisor for further information.
[Permalink]
The Right Beneficiary
Wednesday 03/04/2009 - 9:29:54 pm
Who have you chosen to inherit your assets?
It may be wise to review your choices.
provided by Jacob Warren
Here's a simple financial question: who is the beneficiary of your IRA? How about your 401(k), life insurance policy, or annuity?
You may be able to answer such a question quickly and easily. Or you may be saying, "You know - I'm not totally sure." Whatever your answer, it is smart to periodically review your beneficiary designations.
Your choices may need to change with the times. When did you open your first IRA? When did you buy your life insurance policy? Was it back in the Eighties? Are you still living in the same home and working at the same job as you did back then? Have your priorities changed a bit - perhaps more than a bit?
While your beneficiary choices may seem obvious and rock-solid when you initially make them, time has a way of altering things. In a stretch of five or ten years, some major changes can occur in your life - and they may warrant changes in your beneficiary decisions.
In fact, you might want to review them annually. Here's why: companies frequently change custodians when it comes to retirement plans and insurance policies. When a new custodian comes on board, a beneficiary designation can get lost in the paper shuffle. (It has happened.) If you don't have a designated beneficiary on your 401(k), the assets may go to the "default" beneficiary when you pass away, which might throw a wrench into your estate planning.
How your choices affect your loved ones. The beneficiary of your IRA, annuity, 401(k) or life insurance policy may be your spouse, your child, maybe another loved one or maybe even an institution. Naming a beneficiary helps to keep these assets out of probate when you pass away.
Many people do not realize that beneficiary designations take priority over bequests made in a will or living trust. For example, if you long ago named a son or daughter who is now estranged from you as the beneficiary of your life insurance policy, he or she will receive the death benefit when you die, regardless of what your will states.1
You may have even chosen the "smartest financial mind" in your family as your beneficiary, thinking that he or she has the knowledge to carry out your financial wishes in the event of your death. But what if this person passes away before you do? What if you change your mind about the way you want your assets distributed, and are unable to communicate your intentions in time? And what if he or she inherits tax problems as a result of receiving your assets? (See below.)
How your choices affect your estate. Virtually any inheritance carries a tax consequence. (Of course, through careful estate planning, you can try to defer or even eliminate that consequence.)
If you are simply naming your spouse as your beneficiary, the tax consequences are less thorny. Assets you inherit from your spouse aren't subject to estate tax, as long as you are a U.S. citizen.2 For example, a spouse can roll assets inherited from a 401(k) plan into an IRA without incurring taxes on the wealth transfer.3
When the beneficiary isn't your spouse, things get a little more complicated for your estate, and for your beneficiary's estate. If you name, for example, your son or your sister as the beneficiary of your retirement plan assets, the amount of those assets will be included in the value of your taxable estate. (This might mean a higher estate tax bill for your heirs.) And the problem will persist: when your non-spouse beneficiary inherits those retirement plan assets, those assets become part of his or her taxable estate, and his or her heirs might face higher estate taxes. Your non-spouse heir might also have to take required income distributions from that retirement plan someday, and pay the required taxes on that income.4
As a result of the Pension Protection Act, surviving spouses from same-sex couples may be allowed by employers to convert inherited retirement plan assets into inherited, traditional or Roth IRAs, avoiding taxes until those assets are withdrawn. This requires a direct transfer, not a rollover distribution.5 Before the end of 2008, Congress may vote to make this option mandatory.6
If you designate a charity or other 501(c)(3) non-profit organization as a beneficiary, the assets involved can pass to the charity without being taxed, and your estate can qualify for a charitable deduction.7
Are your beneficiary designations up to date? Don't assume. Don't guess. Make sure your assets are set to transfer to the people or institutions you prefer. Be sure to talk about it with the financial advisor or estate planner you know and trust.
Jacob Warren
Warren Wealth Management
111 West Port Plaza Drive, Ste 300, Saint Louis, MO 63146
(866) 463- 0752 ext. 52337 toll free, (314) 819-0464
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Securities and Investment Advisory Services offered through Woodbury Financial Services, Inc., Member FINRA, SIPC, and Registered Investment Advisor. Warren Wealth Management and Woodbury Financial Services, Inc. are unaffiliated entities
These are the views of Peter Montoya, Inc., not the named Representative nor Broker/Dealer, and should not be construed as investment advice. Neither the named Representative nor Broker/Dealer gives tax or legal advice. All information is believed to be from reliable sources; however, we make no representation as to its completeness or accuracy. Please consult your Financial Advisor for further information.
Citations. 1 seattlepi.nwsource.com/lifestyle/356213_consumer25.html
2 smartmoney.com/taxmatters/index.cfm?Story=20020830
3 online.wsj.com/public/article/SB119948578270968559.html?mod=yahoo_free
4 news.morningstar.com/articlenet/article.aspx?id=212411
5 investmentnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080331/REG/872112904/1037
6 investmentnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080326/REG/451067155/1024/COMPLIANCE
7 news.morningstar.com/articlenet/article.aspx?id=212411
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It may be wise to review your choices.
provided by Jacob Warren
Here's a simple financial question: who is the beneficiary of your IRA? How about your 401(k), life insurance policy, or annuity?
You may be able to answer such a question quickly and easily. Or you may be saying, "You know - I'm not totally sure." Whatever your answer, it is smart to periodically review your beneficiary designations.
Your choices may need to change with the times. When did you open your first IRA? When did you buy your life insurance policy? Was it back in the Eighties? Are you still living in the same home and working at the same job as you did back then? Have your priorities changed a bit - perhaps more than a bit?
While your beneficiary choices may seem obvious and rock-solid when you initially make them, time has a way of altering things. In a stretch of five or ten years, some major changes can occur in your life - and they may warrant changes in your beneficiary decisions.
In fact, you might want to review them annually. Here's why: companies frequently change custodians when it comes to retirement plans and insurance policies. When a new custodian comes on board, a beneficiary designation can get lost in the paper shuffle. (It has happened.) If you don't have a designated beneficiary on your 401(k), the assets may go to the "default" beneficiary when you pass away, which might throw a wrench into your estate planning.
How your choices affect your loved ones. The beneficiary of your IRA, annuity, 401(k) or life insurance policy may be your spouse, your child, maybe another loved one or maybe even an institution. Naming a beneficiary helps to keep these assets out of probate when you pass away.
Many people do not realize that beneficiary designations take priority over bequests made in a will or living trust. For example, if you long ago named a son or daughter who is now estranged from you as the beneficiary of your life insurance policy, he or she will receive the death benefit when you die, regardless of what your will states.1
You may have even chosen the "smartest financial mind" in your family as your beneficiary, thinking that he or she has the knowledge to carry out your financial wishes in the event of your death. But what if this person passes away before you do? What if you change your mind about the way you want your assets distributed, and are unable to communicate your intentions in time? And what if he or she inherits tax problems as a result of receiving your assets? (See below.)
How your choices affect your estate. Virtually any inheritance carries a tax consequence. (Of course, through careful estate planning, you can try to defer or even eliminate that consequence.)
If you are simply naming your spouse as your beneficiary, the tax consequences are less thorny. Assets you inherit from your spouse aren't subject to estate tax, as long as you are a U.S. citizen.2 For example, a spouse can roll assets inherited from a 401(k) plan into an IRA without incurring taxes on the wealth transfer.3
When the beneficiary isn't your spouse, things get a little more complicated for your estate, and for your beneficiary's estate. If you name, for example, your son or your sister as the beneficiary of your retirement plan assets, the amount of those assets will be included in the value of your taxable estate. (This might mean a higher estate tax bill for your heirs.) And the problem will persist: when your non-spouse beneficiary inherits those retirement plan assets, those assets become part of his or her taxable estate, and his or her heirs might face higher estate taxes. Your non-spouse heir might also have to take required income distributions from that retirement plan someday, and pay the required taxes on that income.4
As a result of the Pension Protection Act, surviving spouses from same-sex couples may be allowed by employers to convert inherited retirement plan assets into inherited, traditional or Roth IRAs, avoiding taxes until those assets are withdrawn. This requires a direct transfer, not a rollover distribution.5 Before the end of 2008, Congress may vote to make this option mandatory.6
If you designate a charity or other 501(c)(3) non-profit organization as a beneficiary, the assets involved can pass to the charity without being taxed, and your estate can qualify for a charitable deduction.7
Are your beneficiary designations up to date? Don't assume. Don't guess. Make sure your assets are set to transfer to the people or institutions you prefer. Be sure to talk about it with the financial advisor or estate planner you know and trust.
Jacob Warren
Warren Wealth Management
111 West Port Plaza Drive, Ste 300, Saint Louis, MO 63146
(866) 463- 0752 ext. 52337 toll free, (314) 819-0464
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Securities and Investment Advisory Services offered through Woodbury Financial Services, Inc., Member FINRA, SIPC, and Registered Investment Advisor. Warren Wealth Management and Woodbury Financial Services, Inc. are unaffiliated entities
These are the views of Peter Montoya, Inc., not the named Representative nor Broker/Dealer, and should not be construed as investment advice. Neither the named Representative nor Broker/Dealer gives tax or legal advice. All information is believed to be from reliable sources; however, we make no representation as to its completeness or accuracy. Please consult your Financial Advisor for further information.
Citations. 1 seattlepi.nwsource.com/lifestyle/356213_consumer25.html
2 smartmoney.com/taxmatters/index.cfm?Story=20020830
3 online.wsj.com/public/article/SB119948578270968559.html?mod=yahoo_free
4 news.morningstar.com/articlenet/article.aspx?id=212411
5 investmentnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080331/REG/872112904/1037
6 investmentnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080326/REG/451067155/1024/COMPLIANCE
7 news.morningstar.com/articlenet/article.aspx?id=212411
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Do You Need a Financial Planner?
Monday 03/02/2009 - 9:14:54 pm
What do they do? And should you have one?
Provided by Jacob Warren
Written by Peter Montoya, Inc
What does a financial planner do? Well, that depends. Many individuals refer to themselves as "financial planners", but not all perform true multidisciplinary financial planning. Investment, insurance and tax professionals sometimes specialize in certain areas of financial planning (such as retirement planning, estate planning, tax planning, or investment management).
In general, individuals who call themselves "financial planners" aim to help you plan for your goals and needs and improve your unique financial situation.
What doesn't a financial planner do? A financial planner cannot make you a thriftier shopper, a better saver, or help you earn more money. Ideally, he or she will look at your financial "big picture" and help you work to enhance it via money management. Depending on their credentials, they may recommend specific investments, long-run investing strategies, insurance options, retirement planning, risk management methods and more.
Who needs a financial planner? If you have some significant assets built up (a home, a retirement fund, savings, etc.) and are wondering about how to protect and/or grow those assets, you're probably ready for a financial planner. If you currently live paycheck to paycheck or have less than $10,000 combined in your savings and/or any retirement accounts, then you're probably not yet in need of a financial planner. What you should do is research savings strategies and take a good look at your spending habits so you can begin to build your wealth at a faster pace.
How much does it cost? That is a tricky question to answer. The cost of hiring a financial planner can vary depending on who you hire, where they are located and what type of "fee structure" they use. A fee-only financial planner earns a flat fee, hourly or otherwise, for their services. A fee-based planner generally prefers to charge advisory fees (often .50% to 2.00% annually of the assets under management) for his or her services, rather than commissions linked to investments or product sales.
In occasional instances, charging commissions may actually be more cost-effective for you, but may not be as beneficial. A commission-based planner typically receives the total percentage of his or her income in upfront commissions and therefore some may feel they have little incentive to service you on an ongoing basis.
In most cases, your initial meeting with one of these professionals will be free of charge (be sure to ask in advance about this), and you can discuss fee schedules and compensation arrangements at that time.
How do I choose a planner? In two words - ask questions. Ask trusted friends or colleagues for referrals. Sit down with any planner you're considering and find out how long they've been in business, what their credentials are, how they operate, etc. Most importantly, make sure if and when you hire a planner that your personalities will mesh. This is someone you may well be working with for the rest of your life, so you should choose someone you feel comfortable with.
Jacob Warren
Warren Wealth Management
111 West Port Plaza Drive, Ste 300, Saint Louis, MO 63146
(866) 463- 0752 ext. 52337 toll free, (314) 819-0464
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Securities and Investment Advisory Services offered through Woodbury Financial Services, Inc., Member FINRA, SIPC, and Registered Investment Advisor. Warren Wealth Management and Woodbury Financial Services, Inc. are unaffiliated entities
These are the views of Peter Montoya, Inc., not the named Representative or Broker/Dealer, and should not be construed as investment advice. Neither the named Representative nor Broker/Dealer give tax or legal advice. All information is believed to be from reliable sources; however, we make no representation as to its completeness or accuracy. Please consult your Financial Advisor for further information.
[Permalink]
Provided by Jacob Warren
Written by Peter Montoya, Inc
What does a financial planner do? Well, that depends. Many individuals refer to themselves as "financial planners", but not all perform true multidisciplinary financial planning. Investment, insurance and tax professionals sometimes specialize in certain areas of financial planning (such as retirement planning, estate planning, tax planning, or investment management).
In general, individuals who call themselves "financial planners" aim to help you plan for your goals and needs and improve your unique financial situation.
What doesn't a financial planner do? A financial planner cannot make you a thriftier shopper, a better saver, or help you earn more money. Ideally, he or she will look at your financial "big picture" and help you work to enhance it via money management. Depending on their credentials, they may recommend specific investments, long-run investing strategies, insurance options, retirement planning, risk management methods and more.
Who needs a financial planner? If you have some significant assets built up (a home, a retirement fund, savings, etc.) and are wondering about how to protect and/or grow those assets, you're probably ready for a financial planner. If you currently live paycheck to paycheck or have less than $10,000 combined in your savings and/or any retirement accounts, then you're probably not yet in need of a financial planner. What you should do is research savings strategies and take a good look at your spending habits so you can begin to build your wealth at a faster pace.
How much does it cost? That is a tricky question to answer. The cost of hiring a financial planner can vary depending on who you hire, where they are located and what type of "fee structure" they use. A fee-only financial planner earns a flat fee, hourly or otherwise, for their services. A fee-based planner generally prefers to charge advisory fees (often .50% to 2.00% annually of the assets under management) for his or her services, rather than commissions linked to investments or product sales.
In occasional instances, charging commissions may actually be more cost-effective for you, but may not be as beneficial. A commission-based planner typically receives the total percentage of his or her income in upfront commissions and therefore some may feel they have little incentive to service you on an ongoing basis.
In most cases, your initial meeting with one of these professionals will be free of charge (be sure to ask in advance about this), and you can discuss fee schedules and compensation arrangements at that time.
How do I choose a planner? In two words - ask questions. Ask trusted friends or colleagues for referrals. Sit down with any planner you're considering and find out how long they've been in business, what their credentials are, how they operate, etc. Most importantly, make sure if and when you hire a planner that your personalities will mesh. This is someone you may well be working with for the rest of your life, so you should choose someone you feel comfortable with.
Jacob Warren
Warren Wealth Management
111 West Port Plaza Drive, Ste 300, Saint Louis, MO 63146
(866) 463- 0752 ext. 52337 toll free, (314) 819-0464
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Securities and Investment Advisory Services offered through Woodbury Financial Services, Inc., Member FINRA, SIPC, and Registered Investment Advisor. Warren Wealth Management and Woodbury Financial Services, Inc. are unaffiliated entities
These are the views of Peter Montoya, Inc., not the named Representative or Broker/Dealer, and should not be construed as investment advice. Neither the named Representative nor Broker/Dealer give tax or legal advice. All information is believed to be from reliable sources; however, we make no representation as to its completeness or accuracy. Please consult your Financial Advisor for further information.
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