Retirement Insights

Three questions to evaluate longevity risk for retirees

By McLean Asset Management

Longevity risk—the risk of running out of assets before running out of time—is fundamental to retirement. We know about the distribution of longevity for the overall population, but an individual cannot know in advance precisely where he or she will fall in the distribution. The length of your retirement could be much shorter or longer…

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What Is The ‘Retirement Spending Smile’?

By Wade Pfau, Ph.D., CFA, RICP®

Many people approach retirement planning as if they’ll monotonically spend the same amount year after year throughout their retirement. This assumption certainly makes the planning process significantly simpler, but it’s not realistic. Our spending desires (and needs) change over time.Many people want to take advantage of their early retirement while they are still spry and…

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How Did Investors Survive the 1980s?

By McLean Asset Management

The following is an excerpt from our ebook, “Investing Through the Decades,” which you can download by clicking here. Throughout history, when bad news and events touched the daily lives of investors and caused nest eggs to shrink, it’s been natural to ask, “Is this the end of investing as we know it? Have new…

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Does Your Retirement Plan Account For Your Own Cognitive Decline?

By Wade Pfau, Ph.D., CFA, RICP®

When it comes to financial planning, Vanguard’s “Alpha” and Morningstar’s “Gamma” are really just the tip of the iceberg. For instance, neither study considered how to incorporate home equity into a retirement income plan. We could consider the naïve strategy to be the conventional wisdom of considering a reverse mortgage only as a last resort option in retirement. If you read…

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Understanding the Tools in Your Retirement Income Toolbox

By Wade Pfau, Ph.D., CFA, RICP®

You should be familiar with all the tools in your retirement income toolbox. Retirement plans can be built to manage varying risks by strategically combining the following retirement income tools in different ways. Total Return Investment Portfolios Making systematic withdrawals from a well-diversified investment portfolio is a common way to obtain retirement income. Systematic withdrawals…

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Should I Stay or Should I Go? Housing Decisions in Retirement

By McLean Asset Management

A plan to meet housing needs is an important part of a retirement income strategy. A home provides an emotional anchor, providing daily comfort and shelter, memories, and nearness to friends and community. Homes are also a major source of wealth for retirees and near-retirees. Home equity provides between 45 and 75% of median household…

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The Continuum of Long-Term Care

By Wade Pfau, Ph.D., CFA, RICP®

As we age, the question of where and how we will receive long-term care becomes increasingly significant. While many envision institutionalized living as the inevitable solution, the landscape of care options has expanded significantly, allowing individuals to receive care in more familiar and comfortable environments. With proper planning, it is often possible to remain at…

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The Importance of Planning for Long-Term Care

By Wade Pfau, Ph.D., CFA, RICP®

A well-designed retirement plan must cover predictable spending and include provisions for unexpected contingencies that may arise during a long retirement. One of the most severe and unpredictable expenses retirees may face is long-term care (LTC). This encompasses a broad range of services addressing physical, mental, social, and medical needs that arise from significant physical…

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Retirement Income Strategies with Annuities

By Wade Pfau, Ph.D., CFA, RICP®

  Originally published in Forbes. Income annuities come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Knowing which makes the most sense for your situation can be overwhelming. In this article, I will explore how income annuities work and what options are available. When do income payments start? Annuities can be either immediate or deferred. An…

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