There are some really intriguing tool kits out there on the internet. They help us at Hot Flash Financial help you learn more, and get more control over your money and your future. So you can become more financially secure.
We like to recommend the sites developed by non-profits and research organizations, if not the U.S. government. They tend to be free, and they do not try to sell you anything.
Today’s recommendation: Take a look at NEFE’s (National Endowment for Financial Education) newly designed site. Be sure to explore the section called My Retirement Paycheck. This toolkit helps you think about the kinds of challenges you face, and the decisions you will need to make over the next 20-30+ years.
Take Social Security. We at Hot Flash Financial encourage you to make a careful decision about the date you start your Social Security Benefits. Why, because you have more control than you probably thought you did. And Social Security is an very important part of most women’s income after age 65. So your decision about the age you start to take your benefits will have a very big impact on your financial security. Social Security lets you decide to start to receive monthly checks when you are age 70, 66 or 62, or anywhere in between.
Why would you want to wait until age 70? Well NEFE points out that you will get a lot more dollars in your monthly benefit if you wait. How much more money? Oh, about 75% more than you would if you started at age 62. (That is almost, but not quite double the amount. So if you got $1,000 a nmonth at age 62, you would get $1,750 a month if you waited until age 70 to start your social security benefits. Now that might be worth waiting for.)
There are other really important issues to consider. And NEFE puts them right up there for you to consider. What will be the best decisions to make about the money in your retirement plan? What can you do about medical insurance. What should you consider when you think about your home and your mortgage? Pay it off? Or sell your home and downsize so you can take the equity (or gain) and use it for income?
We at Hot Flash Financial encourage you to check out this site. They have a format someone like ours. Ask yourself a question, and then get answers, right on the site.
So click around the web page devoted to retirement and your retirement paycheck. You will be glad you did.
Comment below so we can see what you think.
