Are you beginning to see your retirement on the horizon? If yes, it is crucial that you have a sense of readiness to live the golden years of your life comfortably. However, you might have doubts about your retirement plan. At these times you need to evaluate and make changes where necessary. As a nonprofit credit counseling agency, we know that debt can be a burden when it comes to retirement planning, but there are other red flags as well. Here are some signs that might be an indication that you are just not ready to retire yet.
If you aren’t ready to retire because of excessive debt, a nonprofit credit counseling agency may be able to help.
10 Signs You Are Not Ready To Retire
- Not having the numbers in order. You need to have a sense of how you will cover your day to day expenses, travel, healthcare, and holiday expenses. This defines how you want to spend your life in retirement. So start using a good retirement calculator and get on with the number crunching.
- Insufficient 401(k) savings. Not having enough in your 401(k) can be an alarming sign that you are not ready to retire yet. Discuss the options to improve your contributions to your employer. Also, look for other avenues such as traditional or Roth IRAs.
- Don’t have my retirement checklist in order. Knowing if your legal documents are in place and your medical insurance is in order is important to a secure retirement. This is a key factor in reconsidering your retirement.
- You have significant debt. You may have a substantial amount of mortgage or credit card debt that you must continue to pay. It is definitely going to put a strain on your future retirement funds. If this is the case, then it’s time to work towards eliminating your debt fast.
- You don’t know how much you will get from Social Security. It is always best to at least have an estimate of what you can get from these benefits. It helps you with the numbers and is a huge help to plan out your retirement.
- Current expenses are out of hand. Are you concerned about covering your day to day expenses? If so, thinking about retirement in the near future may be a questionable choice. You should probably re-evaluate your budget. This can help you identify areas to cut down to save more for your retirement.
- You need drastic measures to pay your bills. Do you have to take drastic measures such as selling your property or get a reverse mortgage? Then, you should reconsider your retirement. Make changes to your savings strategy or your career now to make sure you are really ready to retire.
- Health coverage concerns. Medical costs can be a critical cost element in retirement. So, make sure you are covered for your prescription drug costs. This is an important factor prior to deciding on retirement. This expense is a factor that deteriorates both your finances and your health sooner than you would think.
- Career advancement is still a big factor. If you seek more responsibility, more work, and more challenges, then you’ve still got time until you retire. Make sure you reach your goals while you have the enthusiasm for it to avoid regret. The resulting pay hikes and other earnings can also be a good way to build up some extra savings.
- You don’t have enough interests and activities. Even when you are financially fit to retire you have to ensure that you have your heart and mind set on it. Make sure you have a purpose post-retirement to keep you engaged and happy. Put some thought into this before you make your decision to retire.
If you’re struggling to pay off debt, ACCC can help. Schedule a free credit counseling session with us today.
