Retirement Planning is About the Numbers — and Not Just Money

When it comes to retirement planning, it’s all about keeping the numbers in mind.

There are plenty of figures to consider. How many times have you analyzed Social Security benefit amounts in comparison to retirement ages? Or benefit amounts in comparison to your monthly bills?

But it’s not just income or bills that are important. While these are crucial, they pale in comparison to the most important concept of all — time. For retirees, making the most of your well-deserved golden years is the most crucial task of all.

How the Preciousness of Time Factors Into Retirement Planning

When we think about how valuable our time is, and how uncertain tomorrow is, retirement planning takes on a whole new level of complexity.

If we go by dollar amounts alone, it’s better to wait as long as possible to take Social Security. After all, this will guarantee higher payments, and seniors have been shorted by this program for decades as is. But for some seniors, claiming benefits early is a better choice as discussed here.

For those who are unable to work anymore, or feel their quality of life would improve by stepping away from the workforce, claiming early can be the right choice. If you have a shorter life expectancy, claiming earlier can help you see more of your benefits. Consequently, if you have a longer life expectancy, you can actually earn more overall throughout your life if you claim earlier and get more checks at the lower amount.

There’s also the fact that time feels more enjoyable depending on our mentality. Seniors who are able to enjoy more of time on their own terms and access their benefits earlier can find more fulfillment in their golden years. But is there a way to find a balance? As in a way to get the best of both worlds? Yes.

By signing our petition to protect Social Security, you can support higher benefits for all. This means no matter when you choose to claim, you’ll get the full amount you’ve earned adjusted for inflation. In comparison to the few seconds it would take to sign, you can make your retirement years much more rewarding. That’s what we call a good investment.

Facebook – Twitter