Ask Liz Weston

Get smart with your money

Retirement

Wednesday’s need-to-know money news

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Today’s top story: How financing a vacation with a credit card could ruin your fun. Also in the news: How immigrants can plan a comfortable retirement, how one immigrant started her financial journey in the U.S., and what to do if your defined benefit pension plan is frozen.

How Financing a Vacation with Credit Cards Could Ruin Your Fun
When the bill comes due.

How Immigrants Can Plan a Comfortable Retirement
Discovering which benefits you’re entitled to.

How One Immigrant Started Her Financial Journey in the U.S.
Studying personal finance is key.

Retirement: What to do if your defined benefit pension plan is frozen
Time for a back-up plan.

Q&A: Start saving early for retirement in case that last day of work sneaks up on you

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Dear Liz: What advice would you give to a Silicon Valley professional who hasn’t done a good job planning for retirement? I’m 53 and maxing out my 401(k), saving $24,000 a year with my employer matching my contributions dollar for dollar up to 6% of salary. In addition, I’m saving $50,000 to $60,000 of my $240,000 annual salary. I’m debt free.

I wish I had started saving like this early in my career. Looks like I’ll probably have to work until I’m at least 65 or 70. Any advice on retirement planning would be greatly appreciated.

Answer: Your current savings rate is impressive, but you probably should plan to work at least until your full retirement age for Social Security, which is age 67.

Retiring earlier would require you to cut back even more on your spending or increase the odds your funds won’t last you through a long retirement.

Early retirement may be involuntary, of course.

Many people retire sooner than they expect thanks to a layoff, a health crisis or the need to take care of a family member. That is yet another reason why people should get started saving for retirement as early as possible — they may not have as many years to save as they think, and making up for lost time gets increasingly difficult the longer they wait.

Most people aren’t in the fortunate position to be able to save 30% or more of their incomes in their 50s, which means catching up is close to impossible.

You may still have options if your career and your savings sprint are cut short.

If you own a home, you can tap the equity either by downsizing (selling and moving to a smaller place) or using a reverse mortgage. You can reduce your expenses, possibly by moving to an area with a lower cost of living. You can supplement your retirement income by working part-time.

You also should consider maximizing your Social Security check by delaying benefits until age 70, even if you wind up retiring earlier. Social Security benefits grow by 8% a year between full retirement age and age 70, which is a guaranteed rate of return you can’t find anywhere else.

Delaying Social Security is a way to insure against longevity — if you live longer than you think and run out of other money, that larger check can help protect you from poverty at the end of your life.

Q&A: Keeping retirement money in various accounts helps with tax bills

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Dear Liz: I am having difficulty determining if I should invest money in my 457 deferred compensation account or in a taxable account, as I am in the 15% tax bracket.

Also, does it matter whether I invest in a Roth IRA instead of my traditional IRA? My biggest pot of money is in a taxable account, then my IRA, then a Roth. I am single, no dependents and over 50.

Answer: In retirement, having money in different tax “buckets” can help you better control your tax bill.

Taxable accounts, for example, can allow you to take advantage of low capital gains tax rates plus you can withdraw the money when you want: There are no penalties for withdrawals before age 59½ and no minimum distribution requirements.

Tax-deferred accounts allow you to save on taxes while you’re working but require you to pay income taxes on withdrawals — and those withdrawals typically must start after you turn 70½.

Roth IRAs, meanwhile, don’t have minimum distribution requirements, and any money you pull out is tax free, but contributions aren’t tax deductible.

Because most people drop to a lower tax bracket in retirement, it often makes sense to grab the tax benefit now by taking full advantage of retirement accounts that allow deductible contributions.

That means the 457 (generally offered by governmental and nonprofit entities) and possibly your regular IRA. (Your ability to deduct your IRA contribution depends on your income, since you’re covered by the 457 plan at work.)

If your IRA contribution isn’t deductible, then contribute instead to a Roth. If you still have money to contribute after that, use the taxable account.

If you expect to be in the same or higher tax bracket in retirement, though, consider funding the Roth first. Prioritizing a Roth contribution also can make sense if you have plenty of money in other retirement accounts and simply want a tax-free stash you can use when you want or pass along to heirs.

Q&A: Social Security lets you un-retire to avoid a benefit hit, but only once

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Dear Liz: My wife recently retired at age 62 and will collect Social Security. But she has decided to return to work full time. I know she will collect less if she makes more than Social Security allows per month. If she eventually goes back to not working at all, can she go back to collecting the original amount?

Answer: Yes, but she’d be smart to reconsider her decision to start collecting Social Security early because she’s permanently reducing her benefit for little (if any) good reason.

The earnings test, which applies when people start Social Security early, takes away $1 of benefits for every $2 she earns over a certain limit, which is $16,920 in 2017. The earnings test will end when she reaches her full retirement age, which for people born in 1955 is 66 years and two months. Her check at that point would be what she originally received at 62, plus any cost of living increases.

But that original check is reduced by nearly 25% from what she would get at full retirement age, and the reduction lasts for the rest of her life. That’s a huge hit, and it should make her question the advisability of starting benefits early when so much could be taken away from her.

Fortunately, she has a little time to change her mind. Social Security allows applicants to withdraw their applications, allowing their benefit to continue growing, if they do so within 12 months of becoming entitled to benefits. People who withdraw their applications have to pay back any benefits that received in order to restart the clock.

This is a one-time do-over: Applications can be withdrawn only once in a lifetime and can’t be withdrawn after a year has passed. She can read more about this at the Social Security site, https://www.ssa.gov/planners/retire/withdrawal.html.

Social Security benefits make up half or more of most people’s retirement income. Making smart decisions is essential if you want to avoid a lifetime of regret.

At a minimum, people should use a free claiming-strategies calculator, such as the one on the AARP site, to determine when and how to begin benefits. For $40, they can use more sophisticated planners such as MaximizeMySocialSecurity.com and SocialSecuritySolutions.com.

Another good option is to consult a fee-only financial planner familiar with Social Security claiming strategies to make sure they’re not making an irrevocable mistake.

Thursday’s need-to-know money news

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Today’s top story: NerdWallet’s best credit card tips for July. Also in the news: How to set up your 401(k), tips to evade gas pump skimmers, and how painting your bathroom this color could boost your home’s selling price.

NerdWallet’s Best Credit Card Tips for July 2017
What to look for in July.

How to Set Up Your 401(k)
A big step towards retirement.

Guard Your Card: 5 Tips to Evade Gas Pump Skimmers
Don’t get fleeced at the pump.

Paint your bathroom this color and boost your home’s selling price by $5,400
All about the blues.

Wednesday’s need-to-know money news

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Today’s top story: The death of the 20% mortgage down payment. Also in the news: What you need to know about P2P payment apps, working beyond 65, and 5 cars that cost the lowest to insure.

The 20% Mortgage Down Payment Is Dead
R.I.P

Ditching Cash for P2P Payment Apps? 3 Things to Know
The world of digital currency.

Working Beyond 65 — Will You Want To Or Need To?
What the future holds.

5 cars that cost the least to insure
You don’t have to break the bank.