3 Big Retirement Worries as Your Near the Big Day

Our financial plans, saving and investing strategies, and ability to bear risk all change over time. So, too, do our retirement worries. Earlier this year, we covered the three biggest fears dentists face regarding their retirement. For each of those fears, we included a reason to rest easier.

For those nearing retirement, though, the fears are often quite different—and more urgent. So let’s revisit the topic, this time with an emphasis on concerns you may face as you near retirement.

The big four concerns for all retirees are:

• Will I have enough money to retire?

• Will healthcare costs in retirement eat away at my savings?

• Will I be able to maintain my standard of living when I retire?

• Will my kids’ education costs cripple me?

For those nearing retirement, though, the fears often narrow in scope but worsen in intensity. These are the big 3 for near-retirees:

Will my standard of living take a big hit when I retire?

It’s easy to see why this would be a holdover concern. All the estimations and calculations you make can’t fully prepare you for what post-retirement living costs are going to be like. Why? Because you won’t know until you’re truly retired whether you’re perfectly comfortable taking things at a slower pace now that your dental career has wound down, whether you’ll suddenly start splurging on hobbies and travel, and many other variables that will directly impact your expenses and your standard of living. While some costs will increase, others will decrease. Estimates show that you should plan to replace about 80% of your income for when you retire, but the actual amount will differ. By how much? Only time and experience will tell.

Sleep easier:

Lifestyle calculators are terrific and available for free in many places. Something else you’ll want to consider, though, is joining an online retirement community, where you can virtually meet people from all walks of life who share your concerns. These forums offer helpful hints from people like you who navigated some challenges during their first few years of retirement. Another way for dentists to combat this fear is to work longer and keep building that nest egg. That may not be ideal; you may have had your heart set on retiring by a certain age. But you may end up enjoying your retirement more if you wait until you feel more financially secure.

Will I stay in good health through my golden years?

No matter your family health history or current health, you know from your experience in health care that good health can be fleeting. And you know that costs aren’t going to start going down. So how can you prepare to meet this fear head on?

Sleep easier:

One way to deal with the unexpected is to estimate your costs. Age, personal and family medical history, and other factors such as maintenance medications you may be likely to take go into this calculation. Many savings calculators allow you to plug in facts about your current health status and how that might project to costs in retirement. And look into what, if any, health benefits you can look forward to as a retiree. Today, fewer employers than ever offer health coverage for retirees, but some still do. Consider also whether a spouse may continue to work after you retire, or, conversely, if your spouse is likely to retire before you.

How much will taxes eat into my nest egg?

Protecting your assets is a significant concern for physicians, who (hopefully) have set aside a pretty substantial nest egg in tax-protected investments. But as you know if this is your fear, tax-protected doesn’t mean tax-free. Uncle Sam gets his eventually. In the coming weeks, we’ll do a full run-down on the tax implications of the many different types of retirement investments you have, but for now…

Sleep easier:

There are many tax strategies that, while they won’t eliminate your tax burden, can reduce it significantly. Annuities, for example, can provide income that doesn’t count toward the formula that calculates how much tax you should pay on Social Security income. Also, any Roth IRA investments you maintain have already been taxed at the Federal level and are not subject to additional federal tax.

When it comes to taxes, the key is to estimate closely what you’ll be taxed for and when. Knowing in advance how much of your retirement “income” you’ll actually see is an absolutely critical piece of information to have.