What is the most reported retirement planning mistake? (2024)

FAQs

What is the most reported retirement planning mistake? ›

According to professionals, the most common retirement planning mistakes are time-related, like outliving savings or not understanding how inflation can affect a portfolio over time.

The Bottom Line

The worst retirement mistakes are probably not planning to retire at all, failing to take full advantage of retirement savings plans, mismanaging Social Security, making poor investment decisions and neglecting the non-financial side of retirement.

Answer: Underestimating the impact of inflation. Underestimating how long you will live.

Overspending, investing too conservatively and veering away from your plan — these are some of the most common traps you can fall into on the way to retirement.

Other sources, like Forbes, quote the average retirement age at 65 for men and 62 for women as of 2021, which means women are retiring even earlier than men as time goes on.

Embrace the 30X thumb rule: Save 30X your annual expenses for retirement. For example, with annual expenses of ₹25,00,000 and a retirement in 20 years, aiming for a ₹7.5 Cr portfolio is recommended.

1. Saving Enough Money: Perhaps the top retirement concern is the idea that without steady employment, it might be difficult to have enough resources to maintain your preferred lifestyle. The cost of living can be high, and Social Security benefits may not be enough to cover all your living expenses.

Depending on the year you were born, postponing taking Social Security until age 66 or 67 will allow you to receive full benefits. Based on 2021 data, men retire at an average age of 64.7 years, while women remain at work until age 62.1. Retirees at the age of 65 qualify for Medicare benefits.

What do most retirees have saved? ›

What are the average and median retirement savings? The average retirement savings for all families is $333,940, according to the 2022 Survey of Consumer Finances. The median retirement savings for all families is $87,000. Taken on their own, those numbers aren't incredibly helpful.

Even for people who chose to retire, saying goodbye to their career doesn't always bring happiness. Some feel anxious and saddened by the loss of routine and direction in their lives. Almost 1 in 3 retirees say they feel depressed – a rate higher than that of the adult population overall.

77% of pre-retirees anticipate feeling happier on a typical day in retirement compared to 67% of current retirees who say they are happier. 75% of pre-retirees expect to feel less stressed, which matches retirees' experiences.

1) Not Changing Lifestyle After Retirement

Many retirees also tend to forget that healthcare and long-term care costs usually come into play as a person ages. With some appropriate adjustments to your budgeting and proper planning, you can make sure you are prepared for any possible event.

Your Home. If your employee retirement plan isn't your largest retirement asset, then your home very well could be. While you may not have any plans to sell your house anytime soon, it's essential to account for the value of your home and think of it as an asset.

The 3% rule in retirement says you can withdraw 3% of your retirement savings a year and avoid running out of money. Historically, retirement planners recommended withdrawing 4% per year (the 4% rule).

“The main problem people face upon retirement is organizing their financial lives and finding new purpose,” says Robert Reilly, a member of the finance faculty at the Providence College School of Business and a financial advisor at PRW Wealth Management in Boston.

As Pfau notes, the period in the late 1960s and early 1970s was a tough time to retire. Inflation ran rampant, and the S&P 500 scored several significantly negative years in that period. Returns were particularly poor in 1966, 1969, 1973 and 1974.