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Calculating Your Retirement
To maintain your current lifestyle in retirement, economists say you'll need about 80 percent of your current income. Social Security will provide about 30 percent. The rest may come from pension benefits, a job or personal savings and investments.
You can get a personalized estimate of how much to expect from Social Security at www.ssa.gov/estimator.
If you discover a shortfall, you can save more, plan to work longer, look for higher returns on savings or plan to reduce your retirement lifestyle.
- Play catch-up. Ideally, you should plan to contribute 15 percent of gross earnings to retirement savings, including employer contributions. Make the most of the company's 401(k) plan. Or contribute up to $5,000 to your own IRA or Roth IRA. If you are over 50, you can contribute $6,000.
- Work longer at your present job or decide to get part-time work after you retire.
- Create lifetime retirement income. The Government Accountability Office recommends using up to half of your savings to buy an income annuity, (An income annuity is typically purchased with a lump sum payment, often by people who are at or near retirement) to avoid the risk of outliving your savings. But you can invest as little as $10,000 now and set the date when you will begin taking payouts.
- Delay taking Social Security. Many workers claim benefits before their normal retirement age, passing up an additional 25 percent or more in monthly inflation-adjusted benefits for the rest of their lives.
Normal retirement age is 66 for those born from 1943 to 1954 and gradually rising to 67 for those born in 1960 or later.
To help you to plan, take a look at CNN Money’s Retirement Calculators. There you can estimate what you need to save, how fast your savings will grow, early retirement goals and more.
For more information about retirement, visit the U.S. Department of Labor Retirement Info, Social Security Online Retirement Planner and an investment counselor (check with your employer, family and friends for recommendations).
Happy trails.