Our daily roundup of retirement news your clients may be thinking about.
Getting married could boost couples' retirement prospects as it opens more retirement savings options, such as a spousal IRA, according to this article on MarketWatch. Married clients also qualify for spousal benefits from their spouse's pension and Social Security, which they would not receive if they remain singles. However, they may not be allowed to set up a Roth IRA and other retirement accounts, as there are income limits for the account, says an expert.
Some employers modify their traditional 401(k) plans to help their workers prepare for retirement, according to this article on Yahoo Finance. Some companies add a Roth feature to their 401(k)s and allow Roth 401(k) plan conversions. Other employers offer retirement advice to their 401(k) participants and provide a phased retirement program to their older workers.
Retirees who suspended their Social Security benefit months before turning 70 can expect an increase in monthly benefit based on the 8% per year delayed retirement credit, according to this article on Forbes. For example, if a retiree's benefit is $2,810 and suspends her retirement 19 months before she reaches the age 70, she can expect her monthly benefit to increase to $3,166 when she resumes the benefit.
Expats who paid into Social Security before leaving the country may count the years of work towards retirement if their new home country offers a similar retirement program, according to this article on USA Today. That is because the Social Security Administration has signed bilateral agreements -dubbed "Totalization agreements"- with its counterparts in several countries with comparable Social Security programs. "Under a Totalization agreement, if a worker has some U.S. coverage but not enough to qualify for benefits, SSA will count periods of coverage that the worker has earned under the Social Security program of an agreement country," according to SSA website.
Increased longevity should give people more reason to develop a retirement plan, according to this article on Kiplinger. When creating a written checklist of the things to do to prepare for the golden years, clients may start with their age and account for their current spending and future expenses based on their preferred lifestyle in retirement. They should also plan how to cover these expenses in retirement and anticipate unforeseen costs.
