The idea of working longer before claiming Social security Benefits sound like a great retirement strategy. Staying employed means you can maximize your eventual benefits, continue saving for retirement and avoid tapping your investments for living expenses.
There’s just one problem: working longer is an unrealistic option for many. That is the conclusion the book reaches “Overtime: America’s Aging Workforce and the Future of Longer Work” A collection edited by Lisa F. Berkman and Beth C. Trousdale, published by Oxford University Press in 2022.
“Although today’s middle-aged adults are less financially prepared for retirement than today’s retirees, delaying retirement is not an appropriate solution,” the editors wrote. “Precarious working conditions, family care responsibilities, poor health, and age discrimination make it difficult or impossible for many to work longer.”
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Look at the numbers
This conclusion is confirmed by the Social Security Administration’s own statistics. While nearly 13% of workers approaching retirement say they will wait to claim the largest possible benefits, only 5% of people are waiting to claim benefits at age 70. Instead, about a quarter of men and a third of women choose to collect benefits once you become eligible at age 62.
Worse still, Management notices this “(M)ore than one in eight of today’s 20-year-olds will die before they reach age 67.”
However, financial advisors continue to promote the idea of waiting to maximize your benefit. On paper, it’s a perfectly logical idea: delaying your benefits from… Full retirement age From 67 to 70 adds 8% to your benefit amount each year, which is a cumulative 32% increase in benefit cash. Since Social Security benefits adjust for inflation, a larger initial benefit means a larger increase Cost of living adjustments.
The problem of working longer
As 2022 A report issued by the National Bureau of Economic Research noted, “Americans are known to be bad at saving. Large numbers reach old age so poor that they cannot finance retirements that can last longer than those in which they worked,” the study concluded. “Nearly all American workers aged 45 and 62 year olds must wait until after age 65 to collect their paychecks. More than 90% must wait until the age of seventy.”
The idea makes sense and the Overtime editors agree. “Longer life expectancy means Americans need income to support longer life years, and working longer is a commonly proposed solution,” they wrote.
However, they cite five different factors that undermine the concept of working longer to boost retirement income, including “trends and inequalities in American demographics, health, family dynamics, jobs, and politics,” which are often not taken into account.
The editors identify a range of possible solutions. “Strong retirement and disability policies are essential complements to work-longer policies.” “Work longer policies must be supported by ‘good jobs’ policies to succeed,” they add.
Consider running your retirement strategy by a Financial advisor To help evaluate your trade-offs.
Bottom line
Working longer and delaying retirement is a common strategy recommended for people who are not financially prepared for retirement. But a new book by Lisa F. Berkman and Beth C. Trousdale argues that this alternative is unrealistic for many. Working conditions, caregiving responsibilities, health problems, and age discrimination make it increasingly difficult for older Americans to continue working.
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Tips for planning for retirement
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How much money will you need to save to retire? Should you delay Social Security? These are just a few questions retirees face. A Financial advisor It can help you answer it. Finding a financial advisor is not difficult. Free SmartAsset tool Matches you with up to three vetted financial advisors serving your area, and you can interview your advisors at no cost to determine which advisor is right for you. If you’re ready to find an advisor who can help you achieve your financial goals, Start now.
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Fidelity recommends that you have 10 times your annual income saved for retirement by age 67. To see if you’re on the right track, try it SmartAsset Retirement Calculator. This free tool will estimate how much you’ll receive when it’s time to retire.
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Keep an emergency fund on hand in case you encounter unexpected expenses. An emergency fund should be liquid – in an account that is not at risk of significant fluctuations such as the stock market. The trade-off is that the value of liquid cash can be eroded by inflation. But a high-interest account allows you to earn compound interest. Compare savings accounts from these banks.
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