There are at least two schools of thought with regard to the basic principles involved in planning for retirement spending. The first, and most common, approach poses the problem as a seemingly simple determination of the retirement income needs of a retiree relative to pre retirement income. This is typically expressed as a “replacement rate,” in which a retiree targets a given fraction of his or her pre retirement income level as an amount adequate to sustain a desired lifestyle without working. Often, a particular level of income is given as a rule of thumb (e.g., 80% of pre retirement income). (more…)

With changes in lifestyle after you retire, you could be spending more money related to health, recreation, your home, and your hobbies after retirement. Your cost of living after retirement may increase as well.

Medical

As previously mentioned, your medical costs will increase post retirement, and you’ll need to budget for this expense accordingly. (more…)