Are Americans ready to retire? No! Essay

I have read many articles that say the amount you save for retirement depends on X, Y and Z. They all say that one size doesn’t fit all, but we are not saying that. In this article, you will see solid numbers and you will see usable percentages that you can apply right now to your 401K savings plans.

M.Q. said that she considered herself retired at 64. However, she began planning for her retirement almost thirty years prior, at the age of 38. As M.Q. was a registered nurse, she did not start a 401 K. Instead, she started a 401 B. One of M.Q.’s chief joys and complaints about retirement is all of her free time. She enjoys it because it lets her spend more time with her extended family, her husband, and her dogs. She dislikes it because she often finds herself

4 Statistics Canada has utilized a computer model for the purpose of gaining retirement readiness information from households. This model calculates the net replacement ratio, which is further compared with disposable income once the person has reached retirement, as well as preretirement. The replacement ratios for each household 's income is broken down, with a 75% rate being considered tolerable and low. The ideal rate, however, is above at least 95%. The small percentage of Canadians who have a readiness score that is under 75% are generally employees with a spotty employment record, or those who have not yet lived in Canada long enough for a full Old Age Security (OAS) and Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) benefit. Therefore, increasing the overall amount of household savings is going to do a lot more damage than good. This is because having savings now reduces all disposable income for the years that are spent working, while additional income for retirement that is generated will reduce the future GIS entitlement. In fact, the

Some economic observers predict financial disasters, both national and personal, when the baby boomers retire. They say that as nations of workers and investors become nations of retired consumers, withdrawals will far outweigh deposits in investment and savings vehicles.

Social Security, on average, makes up the largest part of older people 's income (Novak, 2012.) With Social Security making up such a vast portion of retirement income, yet only maintaining 62% (Mendel &, Schram, 2012) of a person’s pre-retirement income, individuals should utilize Individual Retirement Accounts, and Defined Contribution plans combined with Social Security to avoid poverty in old age.

A 2017 survey interviewed 2000 people about their perception of the American Dream. Interestingly, less than 20% of the participants agreed that they were living the American Dream (Carter). This statistic is shocking in the sense that both Americans and foreigners alike consider America the ideal place to create and follow their dream. However, if you look more closely at the diversity of the generations, you see a collection of emotions about the potential to achieve the American Dream. For example, that same survey found that there are some “notable generational differences.” The survey found that Baby Boomers are sixteen percent more likely

Wow, having $90,449.99 towards retirement would be pretty nice. Since starting this assignment I have put a lot of thought into increasing the amount I save for retirement. Yesterday I went through the receipts I found in my purse and couldn’t believe the useless items I bought throughout the week. Sometimes I put no thought into spending. We all will have to face retirement at some point and sadly most won’t be ready. Hopefully others in class put a little more thought into the future. Yes, $36,288.57 is a lot of money and can make huge difference in the way retirement is spent. I’m not a risk taker and would probably cry if I lost money. For now I’ll increase the amount I save towards my 401K and increase the amount I

In a recent find, the whole financial system that was created to keep the lives of normal everyday citizens like you and I afloat, will be absolutely dismantled by the “Baby Boomers” this age group would have drained almost all of the financial resources available in the Social Security System by the time the 2030’s arrives. With that there will be clouds of doubt cascading upon the lives of everyday middle class Americans moving forward especially with the Millennials, out of all the age groups they are viewed as being less optimistic of the financial future, and who can blame them? As evident in the article written by David Bass “The Millennial Perspective” he noted in a recent Pew Research report that 72 percent of Millennials don't believe

In the coming decade, over 20 percent of the national population will reach the age of retirement. Not to mention, many studies have shown that numerous baby boomers are not financially prepared for retirement. A survey taken place in 2015 with 12,000 Canadians showed that 49 percent of people aged 55 to 64 had saved less than 10 percent of their savings target for retirement to date. In addition, there will be a decline in workplace pension plans due to the aging baby boomers which means that only 24 percent of private sector workers are funded through the pension plan. This indicates the importance of baby boomers to finance their retirement. On the other hand, the current low interest rates are making it more difficult for the boomers to save for retirement. The result will undoubtedly have many boomers maintaining a steady life or cause suffering to many others living a lower standard of living. In conclusion, the pre-retirement baby boomers cannot fully reply on the government for financial support and should think about their future financial state if they want it to resemble their current

Although this is worldwide concern and most of it is out of my control, I know I can be proactive and take a step to get ahead to save for times like these. Setting up a 401K when I am of age through future employment, contributing to an IRA, or investing might be good choices to plan for retirement. This way if Social Security benefits didn’t exist any longer I would have another source of funds for living when I choose to retire.

Baby Boomers have been one of the most powerful forces in shaping the economic environment and are the wealthiest generation in the United States (Kotler and Armstrong, 2015). “In their early years, “Leading Edge” Boomers enjoyed economic prosperity, and their resulting financial power in their prime years drove rising trends in everything. However, the recessionary years of the early 1970’s also added cautionary realities to their youthful consumption and employment dreams” (“America’s Oldest Boomers”, n.d.). Baby boomers control approximately 70% of the disposable income in the United States, therefore, they are known as being one of the most influential financial forces in the marketplace (“Baby Boomers Report”, 2015). As they reach their

Much of the blame is a direct reflection of the U.S. stock market and its volatility and minimal gains in recent years. This is what caused many boomers to pull out of the stock market which means they weren't able to reap the benefits of any rebounds leaving them with inadequate savings to retire on.

When you are young you always hear people saying it is never too early to start saving for retirement, but at that age the last thing you want to do is put your money towards ending the career you are just trying to start. It is hard to imagine a time where you won’t have to go to work on a daily basis, to make a wage, in order to pay your bills, but the ultimate goal is getting to that time in your life where you don’t have to go to work and the bills are already taken care of. The hope for everyone is that the bills are taken care of and you are able to focus on leisurely things you did not have an opportunity for while employed. What we fail to realize is that the longer we wait to save the more we have to be concerned with the pressure of time running out and not enough money saved. Not to mention the sooner you start saving the more time you give your money to grow.

In some cases, due to poor prior planning, employees may be quickly approaching retirement but without enough money set aside

The trick to retirement is making the savings and investment part of that formula last as long as you do. “Traditionally, experts have advised you to invest your savings in stocks and bonds, with the ratio of stocks to bonds gradually decreasing as you get older. The rule of thumb was to have 65% of your investment dollars in bonds by your 65th birthday.” (aol.sageonline.com) This rule of thumb has changed recently in order to take into account the increase in life expectancy. Now that your retirement money has to last longer, the experts are beginning to lean toward investing more of your money in the stock market and keeping it there further into retirement than you normally would. The most important notion that retirees must learn is that the longer you can go without dipping into your principal, the longer your money will last for you due to the rule of compounding of interest. There are numerous different techniques for people to use in order to retire comfortably and remain comfortable until their deaths. Since deciding how much money you need for retirement is obviously a highly personal calculation, individuals must explore the many different instruments for retirement. So how should people invest today for the future and their retirement?