Whether we choose to acknowledge it or not, retirement is creeping up on us. Even for those who have just started their career, retirement planning is crucial to providing a secure future for themselves and their loved ones. But that doesn’t mean we are defenseless against time. In fact, with the proper planning, life after work can be the most rewarding years of your life.

One of the most basic ways to begin preparing for retirement is determining your post-work income. Post-work income is the total amount of money you’ll need to live comfortably at current income levels, after you’ve retired. That means having enough cash to live comfortably without worrying about running out. It also means making sure you have enough extra to do the things you have always wanted to, like travel, or just plain relax!

Your post-retirement income significantly depends on the age you wish to retire and how much money per-year you wish to spend. Generally, you want to have between 75% and 95% of your pre-retirement income available to you, each year. This way, you won’t be forced to deal with a drastic drop-off in the way you live.

Plenty of people grow accustomed to living on a certain income, and it’s crucial to stay consistent after retirement. People are living longer too, so you will also want to take that into account, along with inflation. In general, it is been said that in order to preserve your retirement assets, you’ll want to take out 6% or less of them per year.

By running it through a series of tests, professionals are able to determine what possible risks and warning signs may come up. Say, for instance, if you or a spouse were put in a long-term care facility at some point during retirement, your advisor can look at your determined number and see if it’ll hold up under the strain.

By determining the precise amount of post-retirement income you’ll need, you have taken the first step towards saving for your retirement. Once you get that out of the way, you’ve started down the path of securing your future. Asking for help can be crucial, because a professional can tell you if your number will hold up in case of emergencies or other unexpected events. Meeting with an expert and determining how much you need to save is the first step towards determining future goals for retirement. It will wake you up to the real number you need to reach.

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