Transitioning into retirement is one of the biggest life shifts, especially when it comes to your money. Moving away from working full-time and instead focusing on family, travel or interests — all while making sure you have the finances to do so — is a delicate balancing act.
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Of course, Social Security can help offset some of the income lost from no longer working full-time. However, it usually only is part of most retirees’ budgets along with a mixture of 401(k)s, savings, pensions and more.
GOBankingRates spoke with a retiree in the Washington D.C. area about how their finances have changed in the last two years since they have been receiving Social Security benefits.
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Day-to-Day Living Expenses
“Like your paycheck when you’re working, the money goes to all your regular expenses: food, mortgage, electricity, etc.,” said the D.C. retiree. “You try to stay within your means, and dip into savings when you can’t. For example, I took money out of savings to pay for a recent bathroom remodel.”
This retiree and his wife decided to continue living in the D.C. area for retirement to be near their daughter, her husband, and their grandson. The couple’s eldest son lives in Brooklyn, New York, which is more expensive than D.C.
Were it not for their kids and grandkids being on the East Coast, the D.C. retiree and his wife would look for some place cheaper to live.
“We have yet to dip into our 401(k)s. We still have other savings we’re using, and we’re not yet old enough to take mandatory payouts,” explained the D.C. retiree, who is not yet 70 years of age, nor is his wife.
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Where 401(k) Plans Come Into Play
The couple said they “were fortunate to have hooked up with a financial professional in the late 90’s when I was working in San Diego, and we started to have more disposable income. I decided I didn’t have the time, the knowledge or the inclination to manage my own money.”
“I’m glad we got into our 401(k) [plans] early and were religious about contributing,” continued the D.C. retiree. “In the ’80’s, when I worked at Hearst in Pittsburgh, they introduced the 401(k)s and stopped funding our pensions. I went to some of the introductory seminars, and realized it was a no-brainer. What other investment guarantees a 50% return?”
The D.C. retiree made sure to work as long as possible and max out all of his 401(k) contributions because an individual is allowed to contribute more once they are past the age of 50-so called “catch-up contribution.”
This helps the D.C. retiree not have to rely solely on Social Security to make ends meet.
What He Would’ve Done Differently
“I think our professional has done a good job for us,” the D.C. retiree said of he and his wife’s financial planner. “But in 20/20 hindsight, I wonder if we would have been just as well off using index funds.
“I now understand that over the long haul, stocks provide the best returns on your investment. Just match the overall stock market returns and leave it. Trying to ‘beat the market’ is generally a fool’s errand.”
The Bottom Line
The D.C. retiree concluded that Social Security has helped to offset the cost of living expenses he and his wife encounter for everyday items and services, while their other financial sources help to fund “bigger stuff,” such as vacations or repairs to their home.
All together, they are able to live comfortably, thanks to their early retirement planning and not banking that Social Security would be their only financial strategy in their post work lives.
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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: I’ve Been on Social Security for 2 Years — Here’s How My Finances Have Changed
