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 because it aligns with their lifestyle, goals, and life expectancy.

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 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 advocating for the higher benefits all seniors deserve.

Help The Seniors Center Protect the Future of Social Security

The Seniors Center is committed to finding solutions to strengthen and protect the Social Security Trust Fund. Social Security is a contract between citizens and the government. Money deposited in the Trust Fund should only be used to pay benefits to eligible recipients.

The Seniors Center is demanding Congress finally put a stop to the careless borrowing and spending by greedy politicians that has put our Trust Fund and our secure retirement in jeopardy.

At The Seniors Center, our goal is to help seniors, and we’re doing that by protecting the future of Social Security. Retirees shouldn’t have to worry about losing their hard-earned benefits to taxes or the agendas of greedy politicians. If you agree, we invite you to sign our petition today! And follow The Seniors Center on Twitter and Facebook for more updates!