Our daily roundup of retirement news your clients may be thinking about.
Employers can help their workers cope with their student loan debt while saving for retirement by using a benefit platform developed by Student Loan Genius, according to Bloomberg. Firms that use this benefit program will sync retirement savings and student debt payments by matching their employees' monthly student loan payments automatically with pretax contributions to their 401(k). Alicia Munnell of the Boston College Center for Retirement Research calls it “nice idea,” adding that “if every company offered this type of benefit, it would help debt-laden college graduates get an earlier start on retirement saving.” –Bloomberg
There is no rule of thumb for allocating retirement savings in an annuity and retirees should determine the allocation based on their financial situation and personal preferences, according to CNNMoney. Transferring most or all of their retirement assets to annuities can be a wrong move since such products offer less or no long-term capital growth. Also, the guaranteed income payments from an annuity may not keep up with inflation in the long term as retirees are expected to live longer. –CNNMoney
An immediate fixed annuity is a good option for retirees who experience a sudden financial stress, such as serious medical condition, and worry that they would outlive their nest egg, according to Forbes. Clients who buy this financial product will receive an annuity payout immediately after making a single lump-sum payment to the carrier. Before buying this annuity, clients should consider how much of their retirement savings should be used to buy the product, the risk and taxes involved, as well as the complexity and terms of the policy. –Forbes
Retirees should not fail to include estate-tax and gift-tax exemption when developing an estate plan, according to MarketWatch. They should also remember how to use the $14,000 annual gift tax exclusion to maximize estate tax savings. Read what clients can do to use these tax-saving strategies as part of their estate plan. –MarketWatch
People can end up with bigger retirement savings if they increase their retirement plan contributions and minimize the investing costs in these accounts, according to Money. For example, clients age 25 who get $40,000 in income, 2% salary increase and set aside 10% of their pay annually can expect additional $19,000 in retirement income each year if they raise their savings rate by 1% every five years and cut their investing fees from 1% to 0.25%. –Money
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