Retirement Planning Essay

In general, countries experiencing high fertility and rapid population growth, have a “young” population structure and the important policy considerations are if there are enough schools and, sufficient jobs and housing to accommodate this population. Countries with “old” population structures face the problems of structuring and developing retirement and health systems to serve this older population and also they have a considerable reduction the number of the working force. The decline of the work force is one of the most dramatic economic tendencies of the past four decades in the United States. The individual’s decision of whether to stay in the workforce or to retire is based on the collaboration of a number of factors including the following: eligibility for Social Security benefits, availability of and benefits under an employer-financed pension plan, work

A Roth IRA is a retirement plan that you can withdraw completely tax-free. Also, any time you reach the age 59 your income must be see then the level set by the congress. You may also qualify to convert a traditional IRA to a Roth IRA. If your modified adjusted gross income. An IRA is not a savings account designed for you to pull money when you need money.If you pull out money within the first 5 years, there ARE consequences.It's a better deal because most people make a great deal more in interest than they ever put in. How much you can put in Roth Ira $5,500 (for 2015 - 2017), or $6,500 if you're overage 50. The max contribution limit is $5,500 this is the same limit as the 2016 max.30 years puts you a 50 to

In 1998 an additional way for individuals to save for retirement was introduced to the public as a Roth IRA. These Roth IRA’s are a terrific tax break, especially for individuals previously shut out of the deductible IRA game because their incomes were too high. Here’s why. Unlike traditional IRA’s, Roth contributions are nondeductible. But the earnings build up tax-free (SmartMoney, you wanted to know, 2000). Another great point about the Roth IRA is the fact that any withdrawals are free of federal income tax under certain circumstances. To be free from federal tax the Roth IRA must have been open at least five years and your age must be 59 1/2 or older. To be eligible for a Roth IRA you must have an adjusted gross income (AGI) between $95,000 and $110,000 for single filers and between $150,000 and $160,000 for joint filers. Also with the IRA you are not able to contribute more than $2,000 annually per person. With the Roth IRA there are no taxes due if funds are held in the account for at least five years and you are at least age 59 1/2. Original contributions can be withdrawn

There are some cases, however, where there are exceptions . Some exceptions may include leaving your employer at age fifty-five or older, purchase of a primary residence, to avoid foreclosure of or eviction from a primary residence, and medical expenses not covered by insurance (The basics of a 401(k) plan). If a person chooses to wait to begin taking money from their account, they must begin making required minimum distributions by the year after they turn seventy and one half. The notable exception is for those still working at this age (401 (k) - Wikipedia).

In today’s society, the work industry is comprised of numerous generations from baby boomers to millennia’s. Due to reasons ranging from increased cost of living to political policies, Americans are being forced to work longer in order to obtain the social security benefits they’ve contributed to during their careers. Each generation has certain generational influences such as war times and civil rights for the baby boomers and social media and the technology boom for the millennia’s. One constant that has not changed, however, is that the average American has to work for a living, and with the evolution of the US economy, they are having to work longer and are retiring later.

The first retirement plan created in the United States, is one that the majority of us are familiar, the Social Security Act, signed under law in 1935. Up until 1939, Social Security only paid retirement benefits to primary workers, which for the most part were men. Age 65 was chosen as the retirement age because individuals who survived past childhood were likely to live past 65. However, not everyone benefited from such assistance, even after age 65—agricultural and domestic workers were excluded from coverage (DeWitt, 2010). The excluded group consisted of roughly half of workers contributing to the economy, which the majority were African Americans. According to Larry DeWitt, a public historian from the Social Security Administration, exclusion of such groups was due to tax-collection procedures and not due to racial bias. Although it may seem as though Social Security was meant to be the only form of retirement plan for qualified retirees, it was not. During such time, many individuals strongly depended on their savings as well as on their family.

When boomer demand slams into the market place, prices soar (until the fad passes). Nothing stops the baby-boomer. There is somewhat of a bright side to all the spending and boomer traffic. Being just a few steps ahead of the boomer can make an individual very well off if you know which way they are headed. Boomers have always acted this way. Still the largest generation in the United States has been shifting markets ever since the diaper and baby food industries in the late 1940's (Geoffery 59-64). Construction of elementary facilities exploded for municipal budgets—Los Angeles was spending $1 million a week on new schools in the mid-1960's (Geoffery 59-64). After that happened, the boomer moved on abandoning a huge amount of those facilities. When younger boomers wanted cars, the Mustang and Camaro were considered a phenomenon and as the boomer herd passed so did the sales. Suburban homes in beautiful areas were next since boomers were doing the family thing. Prices on suburban homes exploded in the 80's and as usual; when the boomer left, so did the sales.

Some economic observers predict financial disasters, both national and personal, when the baby boomers retire. They say that as nations of workers and investors become nations of retired consumers, withdrawals will far outweigh deposits in investment and savings vehicles.

Baby Boomers have been one of the most powerful forces in shaping the economic environment and are the wealthiest generation in the United States (Kotler and Armstrong, 2015). “In their early years, “Leading Edge” Boomers enjoyed economic prosperity, and their resulting financial power in their prime years drove rising trends in everything. However, the recessionary years of the early 1970’s also added cautionary realities to their youthful consumption and employment dreams” (“America’s Oldest Boomers”, n.d.). Baby boomers control approximately 70% of the disposable income in the United States, therefore, they are known as being one of the most influential financial forces in the marketplace (“Baby Boomers Report”, 2015). As they reach their

Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs) are another way to save for retirement. They can be used independently or in conjunction with a 401K plan. Funds are deposited after taxes have been withheld so there is no tax due upon withdrawal in retirement. IRA contributions can be withdrawn without penalty if you face a financial hardship such as losing your home or significant medical bills.

I. (Attention Getter) Only 2 people out of the 19 responses I got from the survey have started saving for their retirement.

When you are young you always hear people saying it is never too early to start saving for retirement, but at that age the last thing you want to do is put your money towards ending the career you are just trying to start. It is hard to imagine a time where you won’t have to go to work on a daily basis, to make a wage, in order to pay your bills, but the ultimate goal is getting to that time in your life where you don’t have to go to work and the bills are already taken care of. The hope for everyone is that the bills are taken care of and you are able to focus on leisurely things you did not have an opportunity for while employed. What we fail to realize is that the longer we wait to save the more we have to be concerned with the pressure of time running out and not enough money saved. Not to mention the sooner you start saving the more time you give your money to grow.

One of the very first topics that I will elaborate on is the economic aspects of my later life. As of November 13, 2016, I have had an account opened for my retirement fund. Its pertinent that I, personally have this account. I have this account to be my cushion to “fall back on” if any of my other plans for aging do not fall through. “Currently, the full benefit age is 66 years and 2 months for people born in 1955, and it will gradually rise to 67 for those born in 1960 or later.” (National Academy of Social Insurance, 2017)

With the workforce in America decreasing due to hard economic times, there is no guarantee the money put into the reserve will sufficiently support a generation when it is time for retirement. Depending on Social Security to support a person financially when ready to retire, will leave that individual in even more of a struggle than the beneficiaries trying to survive in these earlier years of the 21 century. Social Security benefits represent about 41% of the income of the elderly; if there is not enough to support even half of the elderly’s financial needs now, there is no reason a younger person should depend on it alone for retirement (Dewitt, 2010) in the future.

Mandatory retirement is perhaps a necessary evil; as older employees are forced out of the work force, it creates space for new, younger employees. Mandatory retirement is a form of age discrimination, it forces a person to retire because they are a certain age; it does not take into account if that person wants to retire. It also does not take into account the financial standing of the individual, or if they are physically or mentally still capable of doing the job.