Why Roll-ins Make Sense for Clients: Retirement Scan

Our daily roundup of retirement news your clients may be thinking about.

Let a roll-in help increase your retirement income

Defined contribution plan sponsors cannot track the owners of between 2.8 million and 4.8 million retirement accounts or 5% of the total number of accounts, according to Boston Research Technologies. As such, workers who change jobs are advised to roll over their 401(k) assets from their previous employer to their new company. Failure to do a "roll in" could diminish their efforts to secure their finances in retirement. –MarketWatch

The 4 things to do before retirement

Retirement savers need not only focus on the size of their nest egg but also ways that will help protect their savings, curb their tax burden and leave something for their loved ones, financial planners says. As they approach retirement, clients need to know that the choices they make are either revocable or irrevocable, and they may consider spending on home upgrades and other big budget items while they are still earning. They also need to diversify their investment portfolio to reduce their tax exposure and know the benefits that 40(k) and other retirement accounts provide to them and their loved ones after they die. –The Wall Street Journal

A solo 401k could be the best way to save for retirement

Self-employed retirement savers may be better off using a solo 401(k) to end up with bigger nest egg compared with contributing to IRAs and other traditional retirement accounts, according to this article on The Motley Fool. A solo 401(k) offers a broader range of investment options compared with a regular 401(k), while participants can opt to make elective contributions on a pre-tax or post-tax basis. Since self-employed individuals serves as both the employer and employee, they will enjoy higher contribution limits than what typical workers have in regular 401(k)s. –The Motley Fool

Four must-know Social Security facts

Workers need to know that delaying their Social Security retirement benefits until the age of 70 can increase the total amount of benefits they will receive, according to this article on Forbes. Clients also need to know that they maximize their benefits if they seek spousal benefits on their spouse's record as well as divorced spousal benefits even after their ex-spouse dies. People who have questions are advised to go to the Social Security web site, which offers adequate information to address their queries. –Forbes

Does downsizing in retirement still make sense?

Downsizing may be a good strategy for retirees to boost their retirement savings but such a strategy may not work for others, writes Morningstar columnist John F. Wasik. For these retirees, the value of their properties may not have bounced back or appreciated since the real estate market slumped in 2008, argues Wasik, adding that there also are other considerations to make, such as emotional attachment to the house. "However you approach the question of home equity in retirement, you need to make a careful review of why you want to downsize and the benefits of doing so after you tally all of the costs involved." –Morningstar

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