When it comes to retirement, women lag men in nearly every aspect.
Why? Women have lower lifetime earnings as opposed to men due to wage inequality. Women are more likely to stop working or maintain a reduced work schedule in order to care for children, their parents or both.
Because women in general live longer than men, they must stretch their retirement savings over a longer time horizon. Women are more likely to depend more heavily on Social Security than men and because women tend to earn less than men. A woman’s Social Security payments are lower further compounding their financial situation.
What can women do to help shore up their financial situation?
Maximize your contributions before, during and after work disruptions. Women’s earnings tend to peak earlier than men’s in part due to their caregiving responsibilities.
Women who have reduced or stopped working to care for children, elderly parents or both have the option to play catch-up with their retirement accounts. Once you attain age 50, you can contribute an additional sum of money into your retirement account. The amount depends upon the type of retirement account that you are participating in.
Start investing and get serious about your investments.
Although there is no hard rule, women in general tend to be more conservative when it comes to investing their money. They also tend to make fewer changes with their investments by being more patient and goals-oriented.
Should you/can you work longer in order to save more money?
Several factors affect how long you can work; your health, your employers, your caregiving obligations. Your retirement dates may be out of your control. However, the financial benefits of working longer are undeniable. By working longer, you contribute more to your retirement funds. You also will draw less money from your retirement accounts and by delaying your retirement, you can increase your Social Security benefits for the rest of your life.
Delaying retirement may be your single most financially impactful decision you can make. That means maintaining work skills through continuing education and doing your best in maintaining your health.
Make smart Social Security claiming decisions.
On average, Social Security composes 47% of income for women age 65 and older. That compares to 32% of income for males who are age 65 and above. A woman’s heavier reliance on Social Security combined with the fact that women live longer than men, highlights the value of maximizing the lifetime value of Social Security.
Social Security claiming decisions are not easy to decipher. You could call the Social Security office however Social Security employees are not well trained on providing you advice on your best options. Retirement Solutions uses a computer program to sift through the numerous Social Security options that you have and the delivering the option that will provide you with the greatest payout. Contact us should you wish to explore this option.
Plan for healthcare costs.
Due to a woman’s longer life expectancy women have higher lifetime healthcare outlays compared to men. With healthcare costs exceeding the general rate of inflation, it is critical to be prepared for such costs either through your savings or possibly through some type of insurance such as long-term care insurance.
You need to take care of yourself financially.
There are options that are available to you as mentioned above. Retirement Solutions has been assisting women plan for their retirement for over 40 years. If you feel that you can benefit from our experience and expertise, contact us for a no-obligation, no-cost 15-minute consultation to determine if we can be of assistance to you.
Simply click the “Schedule a Consultation” button found in the upper right corner of this page. After the 15-minute telephone or Zoom meeting, you will decide whether to move forward.