DRS - Washington State Department of Retirement Systems
09/23/2022 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 09/23/2022 08:41
Five things you can do to be ready for retirement
Your finances will change when you retire, and for most of us that means living on less. Making sure you have a firm understanding of your financial picture in retirement will free you up to truly enjoy this next phase of life.
Add up your assets
Make a list of all your debts, liabilities, savings account, income stream and insurance policy you have. This information will allow you to accurately assess your current financial situation. It's a good idea to put this into a spreadsheet for easy updating.
Determine healthcare/understand Medicare
Healthcare is a significant portion of a retiree's budget. It is important to know where you'll be getting your health insurance and what it will cost. Take some time to understand Medicare and what it doesn't cover so you can budget for items you'll need to cover out of pocket. Please note that DRS does not provide health insurance information. To learn more about health insurance for public employees, please visit PEBB.
Adjust your investing strategy
Your risk tolerance may change once you've retired. A financial advisor can help make sure your investments are designed to work for you in retirement.
Decide when to claim social security
You don't have to claim Social Security right away, and the longer you wait, the greater your earnings will be. The social security website explains that if you delay getting Social Security until age 70, you'll get 132 percent of the monthly benefit.
Pay off debt
Since your retirement income is likely to decrease, paying off those fixed payments like credit cards frees up money for living expenses.
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