Even if your personal outlook hasn’t changed, keep in mind that uneven returns provided by different investments may have caused your portfolio to shift from your intended asset allocation.
Conducting an annual review of your retirement goals and strategy is a great way to help ensure that your plans for your financial future remain realistic and on track. With that in mind, taking the three easy steps outlined below will help you conduct your retirement tune-up.
Step 1: Review your retirement goals
Your first step should be to review your retirement savings goals and assess whether anything significant has occurred during the past year that might affect either your outlook for retirement or your current strategies to prepare for it. For example, have you decided to change the date when you’ll retire? Or have you experienced any new milestones such as getting married, divorced, or having a child? Any of these events may affect how much you will want to save to fund the retirement you envision.
Step 2: Take a fresh look at your retirement strategy
Your portfolio’s specific mix of stocks, bonds, and cash, known as your asset allocation, should complement your financial goals, risk tolerance, and time horizon. If you haven’t taken a fresh look at your investments in awhile, don’t assume that your old asset allocation is still appropriate for your current needs. Even if your personal outlook hasn’t changed, keep in mind that uneven returns provided by different investments may have caused your portfolio to shift from your intended asset allocation. Given the market volatility that has occurred since 2007, if you have not reviewed your asset allocation since that time, there may be a good chance that uneven returns have caused it to change. If your asset allocation needs to be rebalanced, now may be the time for action.
Step 3: Consider saving more
None of us know what the future might hold. A good way to improve the odds that you have saved enough for retirement is to save more, no matter how prepared you may already be. If you have not already done so, consider funding an IRA. To find funding limits for your IRA account, more information can be obtained at www.irs.gov. If you participate in a workplace-sponsored retirement plan — such as a 401(k), 403(b), or 457 — you can contribute up to $16,500 for 2011. Those aged 50 and over can add up to another $5,500. If you are eligible for a plan at work, but haven’t enrolled yet, what are you waiting for?
Conducting a retirement tune-up is always a great idea, but don’t forget to consult with your financial advisor to discuss what else you can do to help achieve retirement security.
three-step retirement plan tune-up
Note: The opinions voiced in this material are for general information only and not intended to provide specific advice or recommendation for any individual. Please remember that past performance of investments may not be indicative of future results. Different types of investments involve varying degrees of risk, and there can be no assurance that the future performance of any specific investment, investment strategy, or product made reference to directly or indirectly in this newsletter (article), will be profitable, equal any corresponding indicated historical performance level(s), or be suitable for your portfolio. Due to various factors, including changing market conditions, the content may no longer be reflective of current opinions or positions. Moreover, you should not assume that any discussion or information contained in this post serves as the receipt of, or as a substitute for, personalized investment advice from Vermillion Financial Advisors, Inc. To the extent that a reader has any questions regarding the applicability of any specific issue discussed within this newsletter to his/her individual situation, he/she is encouraged to consult with the professional advisor of his/her choosing. A copy of our current written disclosure statement discussing our advisory services and fees is available for review upon request.
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