FIVE RETIREMENT PL ANNING M I S - ST E P S

TO D OD GE

YOUR LIFE NEEDS A ROADM AP. Whether you’re 25 or 55, if you don’t have retirement on your radar, you’re going to speed through life and run right into it.

THAT’S WHERE WE COME IN. Planning for your retirement can be overwhelming and probably a little bit scary. We get it. But this is what we do, and we’d like to think we’re pretty good at it. We’ve helped our clients plan for exciting, fulfilling futures, and we want to do the same for you.

O W N Y O U R R E T I R E M E N T: F I V E R E T I R E M E N T M I S - S T E P S T O D O D G E

Through the years, we’ve identified five common mistakes people often make before they hit retirement. Do any of these sound familiar? 1. You don’t have a fully mapped out retirement strategy. Or, maybe you do, but you haven’t updated it in the past five years. You know the old saying: If you don’t know where you’re going, how will you know when you get there? Having a strategy in place can help you know where you’re going – as long as that strategy is up to date. With fluctuating market conditions and possible changes to your financial situation, we recommend that you review and, if necessary, update your retirement income strategy at least every three years. 2. You’re living beyond your means, contributing little or nothing to the savings you'll need after your paychecks stop. A key to good retirement income planning is having a budget and sticking to it. 3. You are under the impression you will be healthy forever — and therefore may be ignoring the cost of health care in retirement. Or, at the very least, you’re underestimating what those costs might be. It’s estimated that a 65-year-old married couple that retired in 2015 will need about $245,000 for health care costs in retirement.1 4. You aren’t saving enough to account for inflation. The value of the dollar is constantly changing — but you probably already know that from your weekly trips to the grocery store. These increases, along with the other potential impacts of inflation, should be factored in when planning your financial future.

5. You haven’t planned for the possibility of long-term care. It’s estimated 70 percent of those over 65 will require long-term care at some point in their lives,2 and the average cost of a private nursing home room is more than $92,000 a year!3

If you identified with one or more of these, you’re probably not alone! The good news is, these are the kinds of issues we help people address every single day. That's not to say your issues are similar to everyone else's – because they're not – but it's important to know you aren't alone. If you’re looking for a cookie-cutter retirement strategy, you won’t find that here. We take pride in treating all of our clients as individuals. So, take the first step in learning more about us. Once you realize the necessity for a lifelong retirement income strategy, we will gladly sit down with you to start creating your roadmap. The first step toward your retirement goals is to start thinking about it now. Maybe the age at which you plan to retire is far away, or maybe it’s closer than you want to admit. It doesn’t matter. The fact is: People are living longer than ever before, which means their savings need to last longer than ever — at least 20, 30 or possibly even 40 years. Saving and planning for retirement income should be high priorities.

Don’t overlook these common retirement mistakes. Let us help you prepare for a more confident retirement. Fidelity. Oct. 7, 2015. "Health Care Costs for Couples in Retirement Rise to an Estimated $245,000." https://www.fidelity.com/about-fidelity/employer-services/health-care-costs-for-couples-retirement-rise. Accessed July 7, 2016. 2 Medicare. "2015 Medicare & You, National Medicare Handbook, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services." hps://www.medicare.gov/pubs/ebook/pdf/Medicare_and_You-2015.pdf. Page 63. Accessed July 14, 2016. 3 Genworth. May 5, 2016. “Genworth Cost of Care Survey 2016.” https://www.genworth.com/dam/Americas/US/PDFs/Consumer/corporate/131168_050516.pdf. Accessed July 25, 2016. 1

This content is provided for informational purposes only and is not intended to serve as the basis for financial decisions. We are an independent financial services firm helping individuals create retirement strategies using a variety of investment and insurance products to custom suit their needs and objectives. Our firm is not permitted to offer tax or legal advice. Individuals are encouraged to consult with a qualified professional before making any decisions about their personal situation. If you are unable to access any of the news articles and sources through the links provided in this text, please contact us to request a copy of the desired reference

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