When our clients come to us for assistance, one of the most common concerns is figuring out how they should address a diverse range of financial goals. This challenge is especially prevalent among younger clients, who are faced with both opportunities and challenges when structuring their investments. 

Young professionals need to carefully balance how they manage their investments in order to meet both short-term and long-term goals, and must also regularly update their portfolios as their circumstances change. When done successfully, they will be well-positioned for the future.

The Financial Circumstances of Young Professionals

Before deciding how they should prioritize their financial goals, young professionals should first assess their financial circumstances. Naturally, each person’s income, expenses, and goals will be different, so creating an investment budget is a useful first step.

Starting a career may be the first time a young professional is handling a complete household budget. Once they have accounted for rent, utilities, groceries, and other essential expenses, along with how much they want to spend on non-discretionary items like dining out and entertainment, they can determine the goals they want to achieve with their leftover income.

Some common aspirations for young professionals include:

• Paying off student loans: For those with a significant burden from their higher education, eliminating this debt enables them to save up more quickly for other goals. 
• Buying a house: This major purchase supports other lifestyle goals such as starting a family, and allows a young professional to acquire an asset that typically appreciates in value. 
• Retirement: Although young professionals still have decades of their working life in front of them, they are often motivated to begin saving early in order to maximize their returns.
• Saving for a major purchase: These may include things like buying a new vehicle, planning a dream vacation, or collecting capital to start a business.

The Risks of Hyper-Focusing on a Single Goal

We sometimes see that young clients are zeroing in on one goal, such as supercharging their retirement portfolio or tackling their student loan debt, and giving less attention to others. In doing so, they hope that they can achieve a goal more quickly and be better positioned to address others. Unfortunately, this strategy risks the possibility that some goals may go unfulfilled.

Here’s how hyper-focusing on a single financial objective can be detrimental:

• Retirement: Putting too much money into a retirement account at an early age can sideline goals that might be more difficult to achieve later in life, such as buying a home or starting a family. This, in turn, can lead to more stress and anxiety in the present day. Retirement accounts also have less liquidity than other investment options, creating more financial vulnerability in the short term.
• Purchasing a home: Conversely, too much attention on building up a savings account for a down payment can leave too little invested into a retirement account, and the loss of substantial long-term gains. Rushing into homeownership can also create financial strain if a person does not adequately budget for certain costs, such as an emergency fund to address unexpected repairs.
• Debt payments: Too much focus on paying down student loans or other debts can also mean missing out on longer-term financial growth. It can also make it more difficult to adapt to unexpected changes in your income or expenses, and create greater stress and anxiety.
• Savings: Putting excessive money aside for an emergency fund or general savings might put too much funding into low-yield accounts. Inflation can also erode the purchasing power of these savings over time.

Investment timelines

Each financial goal will come with its own timeline, which can also guide the investment strategy that is best suited to meet it. Short-term goals include the down payment for a house, paying off credit card debt, establishing an emergency fund, or acquiring enough capital to start a business. Saving for these goals should focus on building up the assets, keeping them liquid so they are easily accessible, and minimizing risk.

Medium-term goals, which can take up to a decade to complete, include paying off student loans, saving for a child’s higher education, completing significant home renovations, and starting a family. Investments toward these goals can assume more risk due to the longer timeline, though a gradual adjustment toward lower-risk investments should occur over time.

Longer term goals include retirement and general wealth accumulation. Investing toward these goals can take place over several decades, and use more aggressive strategies at the outset to maximize gains. By regularly contributing to these funds, periodically rebalancing a portfolio, and taking advantage of compounding interest, the lengthy investment period can potentially build up a substantial balance.

Balancing investments as a young professional

The challenge for investing as a young professional is that so many goals still lie before them, and they are often trying to achieve several goals over varying periods of time. Some general strategies that can be useful for young professionals to work toward these goals include:

• Setting a realistic budget and goals: Taking the time to create an investment budget helps determine how much money is available to save or invest. This, in turn, can help set short-term, medium-term, and long-term goals and how they can be prioritized. 
• Focusing on paying down high-interest debts: Investing can potentially result in major gains, but these are often not enough to balance the high interest rates on certain debts. For example, the historic earnings on major market indices has averaged to about 10 percent per year, while the interest rates on credit cards can easily be double that. Paying down high-interest debt reduces the amount of income going toward interest payments, and makes it easier to balance low-interest debt payments with investments that can earn stronger dividends.
• Taking advantage of employer retirement savings matches: Many employers offer to match the money employees contribute to a retirement savings account up to a certain level. It’s prudent to save at least this percentage of one’s income in order to maximize long-term gains. 
• Opening a dedicated savings account for a down payment: It’s easy to start saving toward a goal only to dip into these funds to meet short-term needs. Setting up a dedicated savings account toward buying a home can help ensure that this money remains untouched. 
• Leaving room for flexibility: Personal circumstances can change quickly, for better or for worse. One should always be prepared to adjust their financial strategy as needed to adapt to major changes.
• Meeting with a financial advisor: A financial advisor offers professional guidance and insights, along with customized plans to address each client’s circumstances. Meeting regularly with an advisor allows plans to be tailored as these circumstances change.

To set up a meeting with one of the financial advisors at Grey Ledge Advisors, call 203-453-9075 or use our online contact form.

One of our favorite things to say at Grey Ledge Advisors is, “You have enough.” With these three words, we can deliver the joyful news that a client’s retirement savings will allow them to comfortably retire.

Choosing when to retire can be a tricky question. In order to exit the workforce and enjoy a stress-free retirement, you need to determine an amount that can cover all the anticipated expenses of your post-work life.

Our financial advisors work with each client to determine their individual needs and when they have hit this magic number. While this figure is different for each person, there are several things you’ll need to consider to determine if you’re ready to retire.

How much is “enough” for you?

There are essential expenses that retirement savings must cover, such as housing, food, health care, and taxes. However, retirement also tends to come with substantial lifestyle changes. One needs to be prepared not only to meet regular expenses, but also to pursue any goals they hope to achieve.  

Here are some of the key things to take into account when determining if your retirement savings are enough to support your preferred lifestyle:

• Housing: As the dominant expense for many households, this expense plays a major role in retirement planning. If you’re planning to remain in your current residence, you’ll need to account for any remaining mortgage payments as well as ongoing homeowners insurance, property taxes, utilities, maintenance costs, and renovations that can assist with aging in place. If you are planning to move, you must consider any changes in housing costs, as well as any potential income you’ll receive from the sale of your current home.
• Health care: Health care costs can be difficult to predict. It’s important to consider your current insurance, any changes you anticipate to your coverage, and the cost of any current medications or procedures. Since long-term care is often necessary in your elder years, you should plan for self-funding this expense or including long-term care insurance as part of your planning. 
• Transportation: If you plan to continue driving after retirement, you’ll need to account for regular vehicle maintenance and insurance as well as the need to periodically purchase a new vehicle. Alternatively, you’ll need to determine the costs associated with using public transportation or other options if you opt to make this change in retirement.
• Taxes: Depending on how your retirement savings are structured, you may need to pay taxes on the funds you withdraw. Your retirement planning should take steps to optimize your taxation to avoid unnecessary expenses.
• Travel: Many people enjoy a “honeymoon” period during retirement, using the occasion to travel to destinations they’ve always wanted to visit. This can significantly increase spending during the early years of retirement before it settles back into a more regular rhythm. 
• Discretionary spending: You may decide to take up new hobbies during your retirement or treat yourself more frequently to dining out, going to concerts, or other activities. These can all lead to added expenses that should be accounted for when planning for retirement.

Sources of retirement income

The goal of retirement is to have enough money saved up that you’ll have a steady source of income in your later years. These funds can come from a variety of sources, so you’ll need to consider all potential options when determining if you’re in a good position to retire:

• Retirement accounts: Once you retire, you can begin making withdrawals from your 401(k), IRA, or other retirement account that you’ve built up during your working life. These can begin at any age, although required minimum distributions currently must take place starting at age 73.
• Social Security: This benefit offers some extra income during your retirement, though the amount you receive will vary based on when you begin collecting it. You can claim Social Security as early as age 62, but receive a higher benefit if you delay collection to a later age. You should also be wary of relying too heavily on this benefit, due to the potential for future adjustments such as benefits reductions in order to keep the program solvent.
• Part-time work: You may not want to give up working entirely in your retirement, instead opting for a reduced schedule that provides some additional income. Be aware that this can reduce your Social Security payments if you have not yet reached your full retirement age. You’ll also need to set a realistic timeline of how long you will be able to — or want to — work part-time.
• Other income: Additional income can come from sources such as separate stock portfolios, rent from properties you own, annuities, royalties, or the sale of assets such as real estate or valuables. 

Important things to remember 

Certain factors will determine whether the money you’ve saved is enough to support your retirement and meet your individual goals. It’s important that you remember them as part of your planning:

• Longevity: Life expectancy has been increasing over time, reaching about 75 for men and 80 for women. This, in turn, means you’ll need to save up enough to cover this extended time period — especially if you’re hoping to retire early. While you can never be certain how long you’ll live, factors such as family history can provide a helpful guide. You should also save up enough for a buffer period beyond your anticipated lifespan. 
• Inflation: The cost of living increases over time, so any retirement planning should account for inflation. Although annual inflation has fluctuated over time, it has averaged about 3 percent over the long term.
• Emergency fund: It’s always a good idea to keep an emergency fund for unexpected home repairs, medical costs, or other major expenses. It’s important to maintain one in retirement as well.
• Investment strategy: Once you reach retirement age, the investment strategy for your retirement savings should typically switch to more conservative and stable options that can reduce risk and generate consistent returns. While this reduces the possibility of large gains that come with higher risk strategies, it also minimizes the possibility of substantial losses in your retirement savings. A reduction in risk profile does need to be balanced with the idea that you’ll still remain invested for decades once retired. 
• Legacy planning: If your retirement savings have sufficient buffers, you’ll not only have enough money to live comfortably in retirement but also be able to leave money to family members or charitable organizations after your death. Your retirement planning should be paired with careful estate planning to ensure that proper directives are in place for the distribution of any remaining assets.

Retirement planning calculations

There have been various suggestions on how to calculate whether you have enough saved up to retire. One is the “4 percent rule,” which suggests that you have enough on hand to subsist on withdrawing 4 percent of your assets each year — which allows the funding to last for about 30 years. To determine if you’ve reached this threshold, you simply need to multiply your desired retirement income by 25.

Another option, known as the replacement ratio, suggests dividing your estimated annual retirement income by your pre-retirement income. If you can hit a target of 70 or 80 percent, this calculation suggests, you’ll be able to retire.

While these calculations can provide a good reference point, they are not sufficient to account for factors like market volatility, lifestyle changes, or inflation. They also tend to be less accurate for longer lifespans, especially those involved in early retirements.

By meeting with a financial advisor, you’ll be able to carefully weigh all of the factors affecting your retirement planning and get a customized plan that meets your needs. To set up a meeting with a team member at Grey Ledge Advisors, contact us online or call 203-453-9075.

In today’s competitive job market, a robust retirement plan can be a game-changer. SECURE Act 2.0, passed at the end of 2022, has made (or is phasing in) several changes to retirement planning that make it easier and more cost-effective for companies to offer retirement plans. The legislation also encourages employees to save for their future.

An easier way to start a plan

SECURE Act 2.0 offers a suite of benefits that make establishing and maintaining a retirement plan more cost-effective — thus helping smaller companies to start and maintain these benefits. There are now tax credits available to cover up to 100% of start-up costs for certain plans, as well as options to help offset employer contributions.

Small businesses with up to 50 employees can receive a credit covering 100% of administrative expenses (capped at $5,000) for the first three years of a new plan. There’s also an additional credit for employers with 100 or fewer employees to help offset the cost of employer contributions, up to $1,000 per employee.

If you don’t have an existing plan, you can create a streamlined deferral-only 401(k) or 403(b) starter plan with lower contribution limits. These plans are easier to administer and meet participation requirements automatically.

The legislation also makes it simpler for employers to offer Roth IRA contributions as part of their retirement plans. This option can be administered more easily, and will also appeal to employees who prefer making after-tax contributions to their retirement savings in order to make tax-free withdrawals later on.

Encouraging employee participation

Even when an employer offers a retirement plan, employees may not participate — often because they forget to opt in once they become eligible, or believe it’s preferable to retain more of their income in the present day. Failing to participate in a retirement plan is a major error, since it means an employee will miss out on an account’s potential for long-term appreciation and have much less money available in the future.

SECURE Act 2.0 aims to reduce non-participation by requiring plan providers to automatically enroll eligible employees in retirement plans established after December 29, 2022. This automatic enrollment will begin in 2025, with an initial contribution set by the employer between3% and 10% and an automatic increase of 1% each year to a minimum of 10% or a maximum of 15%. 

This requirement means companies take a more active role in helping their employees start and advance their retirement savings, while still giving employees the option to opt out. Note that some businesses are excluded from the requirement, including small businesses with fewer than 10 employees and businesses that are less than three years old.

Also starting in 2025, part-time workers who meet eligibility requirements (at least 21 years old and at least 500 hours of service in two consecutive years) will be able to contribute to a 401(k) or 403(b) plan if one exists. Currently, part-time workers can only make these contributions if they have worked for a business for three consecutive years.

A saver’s match incentive beginning in 2027 will further encourage retirement savings. This will offer a government-funded 50% match on contributions to an IRA or retirement account, up to $2,000 for eligible individuals or $4,000 for eligible couples. This replaces the current system of lowering eligible employees’ tax liability, with the funds being deposited directly into the recipients’ retirement accounts.

Flexible options

The SECURE Act 2.0 also builds more flexibility into how employers can put together their plan, and how employees can access it: 

• Student Loan Repayment Match: This innovative benefit allows businesses to offer matching contributions for student loan repayments alongside traditional retirement contributions.
• Emergency Savings Withdrawals: Employees can now withdraw up to $1,000 for emergency expenses without penalty. Employers can also set up automatic payroll deductions for emergency savings.

Ready to take the next step?

A strong retirement plan isn’t just good for your employees; it’s good for your business. By offering a path to financial security, you can attract and retain top talent and keep your employees happy.

Grey Ledge Advisors can help you navigate the SECURE Act 2.0 and explore your retirement plan options. We’ll work with you to design a plan that fits your budget and helps you build a winning team. Contact Grey Ledge Advisors today to learn more.