Do Traditional Retirement Rules of Thumb Still Work?
Description
We’ve all heard those classic retirement tips—“save 15% of your income” or “just follow the 4% withdrawal rule.” These rules of thumb have been passed down for decades. As a financial planner who specializes in retirement planning, I hear people mention these frequently. But the important question is, do these old rules really hold up in today’s world?
Years ago, people retired and lived maybe another 10 or 15 years. But today, retirement could last 30 years or more. The stakes are dramatically higher since you could spend just as much time in retirement as you did working. With people living into their 90s and beyond, the traditional rules simply weren’t built for the financial realities we face today.
While these old rules of thumb might be a decent starting point, they’re not designed for today’s retirement planning. You don’t want to build your future on what is essentially a guess. Instead, you deserve a well-thought-out plan that can protect you from running out of money or being forced to downsize your lifestyle.
But do these guidelines have any place in your retirement planning? Let’s take a closer look and find out if they’re still relevant—and if not, what you might want to consider instead.
United States
