Avoid this very common retirement mistake

Empty nester not saving enough for retirement

Saving for retirement It is a lifetime pledge. It involves taking into account your retirement goals as you have kids, get different jobs and move from place to place. However, a recent study from the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College shows that many parents may not be keeping up retirement savings goals After their children leave home. Parents who consistently fall short of their retirement savings goals may not be able to cover regular expenses. The study suggests a number of reasons why single, stay-at-home dads neglect retirement savings, including the fact that these dads tend to work a little less. Since saving for retirement is a marathon, not a sprint, it’s important to make sure you stay on top of your retirement savings goals even after your kids leave home. a financial consultant It can help you stay on track.

Empty nesters lag: report of results

The report by the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College examined how to do just that Parents empty nest Adjust their savings, consumption and earnings after the children leave home. The report aims to reconcile the fact that some studies have shown that parents who move out of their homes reduce consumption and increase savings while others have shown that savings do not increase.

The study authors offered three possible explanations to reconcile these discrepancies:

Parents who vacate their homes can pay off their debts after the children leave home
Parents can continue to provide financial support to children after they leave
Empty nests tend to do so adjust their earnings and working hours after the children leave home

Surprisingly, the study found that, in general, parents are less inclined to pay off debt and parents do not usually continue to provide meaningful financial support to their children after they leave home. What they found was significant evidence to show that parents who live in childless homes reduce their working hours and earn about $2,000 less per year after the children no longer live with them.

This study also found that consumption, relative to Enter, decreased by 6% for parents of childless children. However, the net worth remained unchanged, leaving a question mark as to why these parents didn’t save more.

Why empty nesters saving less for retirement?

There are a number of possible explanations when it comes to figuring out why parents who live in an empty house don’t seem to save as much as they should. One of the consistent findings of the study was that parents who live in vacant homes tend to work less and therefore earn less. Despite the fact that depreciation is also less, the change in nominal income has the potential to throw it off Savings goals and objectives. If a person who would normally donate $2,000 a year for retirement starts earning $2,000 less annually, it’s easy to see how they can give up saving $2,000 altogether, even if they’re consuming less overall.

It is also important to note that the results of the study are not a foregone conclusion. Parents with vacant homes who decide to work less while still supporting children who have left home will have less money to save for retirement. The same is true for parents who decide to pay off debt more quickly after their children leave.

What can you do?

There’s no single reason why single parents would tend to save less for retirement after their kids leave home, so it’s not necessarily an easy fix for anyone. However, there are always steps you can take to ensure that you as an empty tithe keep up with your retirement goals.

First of all, it might be a good idea Work with a financial advisor To help you stay on track when it comes to savings goals for retirement, even when big life changes happen, like the kids leaving home or reducing your work hours and income.

It’s also a good idea to be meticulous about your retirement savings. For many, a major event like the kids leaving home can cause your attention to focus elsewhere, and retirement savings can take a hit. By keeping your finances consistent on a spreadsheet or with another Financial regulation applicationYou can be sure of achieving your retirement savings goals on a monthly and yearly basis.

Empty nesters can also try these strategies:

Maximize your IRA or 401(k). Retirement planning often starts with work. If you have access to a file 401(k) Or a similar workplace retirement plan, use it. A recent study from Vanguard says roughly that A third (34%) of Americans leave free money on the table By saving below employee match. An empty nest can be over 50 years old Catch-up contributions.
Put the money in a healthy savings account. An HSA allows you to invest money for future medical expenses, while… Obtaining special tax exemptions – Your contributions reduce your taxable income and grow your money tax-free. In January 2021, there was $82.2 billion invested in 30 million HSA accounts. This was a 25% year-over-year jump in assets and a 6% jump in total accounts.
Ensure an additional income stream with an annual stipend. Annuities are insurance products That pays the full amount of principal and interest over a specified period of time. You can delay taxes on earnings and sometimes extend them to your beneficiaries. An annuity can also allow you to receive Social Security benefits at a later age, thus maximizing your benefit. a financial consultant It can help you invest in an annuity later in life while still working and if you have other retirement income.
Defer your Social Security benefits until age 70. Wait until full retirement age It will allow you to receive 100% of your retirement benefits. However, by retiring at age 70, you can get 132%, or the amount of your regular monthly benefit. So while you’ll get fewer Social Security benefit checks in your lifetime, they’ll be about a third more.

There are a number of real reasons why empty nesters tend to save less for retirement. The financial burden and stress of raising a family can often make saving for the future feel like an afterthought. However, it’s important not to give up saving for retirement entirely after your kids leave home. Even if you decide to work less or pay off debt, make sure you save for your retirement savings goals into consideration so that you don’t end up in a situation where you don’t have enough to support yourself in retirement.