Secure Your Retirement
By Alan Lim
Whether you want to live abroad or stay in the country during retirement, you would not want to worry about finances, so it is better to plan ahead.

>> Secure your finances.

Studies show that most pensions do not make up the difference between what you actually need and what Social Security provides. The key is to build a solid financial plan.

You need about 70% of your income before to live up to the lifestyle that you now have.

Sure, your living expenses might be lowered during your leisure years. But other things that you need to spend on will definitely increase.

Another factor to consider is inflation. Have you ever heard of prices of commodities going down?

In spite of a basically steady economy, costs are sure to rise as you grow older so you need to foresee if you will be able to afford steep prices when you only have your monthly pension to rely on.

>> Think "Social Security" equals "Retirement Security".

By law, a person is eligible to receive benefits once he turns 62 years old. Age, eligibility, marital status and the amount that you have contributed trough the number of years that you worked will determine exactly how much pension you will receive.

If you decide not to take advantage of the benefits by the time you turn 62, then you will definitely have more once you start withdrawing money from the system.

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