A survey by Aegon has found that many people plan to have an active lifestyle in
retirement, but are not engaging in activities to stay fit, according to this article on CNBC.
“We focus so much on the financial aspects of planning for retirement, but we do
relatively little to prepare ourselves from a health perspective,” says an expert with
Aegon Center for Longevity and Retirement. “People have the potential to live longer
than in any time in history. But it’s not something that happens automatically.”
MEDICARE SURCHARGE THRESHOLDS TO DROP
Medicare has lowered the income thresholds for the highest premium surcharge tiers in
2018, according to this article on Kiplinger. This means more retirees paying higher
premiums can expect an increase in premium surcharges for their Medicare Part B and
Part D. Their Medicare premiums next year will be based on their 2016 tax returns, but
seniors can get a waiver to reduce the premium if they went through a life changing
event such as death of a spouse or retirement.
HOW DO YOU SAVE FOR RETIREMENT AS A FREELANCER?
Building a nest egg can be a tough challenge for self-employed people, but developing
the habit of setting aside an amount from earnings can help overcome the hurdle,
according to this article on CBS Moneywatch. When saving for retirement, freelancers
may use a myRA plan, an IRA, a Solo 401(k) or a SEP IRA. Self-employed clients are
also advised to automate their contributions when possible, and sock away as much as
15% of their earnings.
NOT SAVING ENOUGH FOR RETIREMENT? HIT THE GYM.
A survey by the Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies has found that 61% of
retirees left the workplace for good earlier than planned, with many of them retiring
because of poor health, according to this article from Money. This suggests that people
who are not ready for retirement should stay healthy to continue working as planned. “If
you take care of yourself, save that money and invest it, you’ll have more money in
retirement and your retirement health care costs will be less,” says an expert.
