How to know If you’re on track for a nice retirement
October 22, 2009 · Tagged with Retirement
Fidelity Retirement Income Planner
Cost: Free of charge, and suited to those within five years of retirement.
What’s Involved: As with the other programs we tested, this one starts with a questionnaire that asks for estimates of retirement income and expenses. You will also have to disclose the contents of your brokerage, tax-deferred and other savings accounts. Of the questionnaires we completed, this was the most detailed and time-consuming. It took us about 90 minutes. There’s a shorter version for those who already have a budget worked out.
Hand-Holding: We took a stab at completing the survey ourselves on Fidelity Investments’ Web site. But we felt more comfortable relying on a Fidelity adviser — David Olsen, a regional planning consultant — for help with navigating some of the software’s more sophisticated features, such as a tool that allows users to vary expense estimates from year to year. We spoke to Mr. Olsen by phone, but we could have opted to work instead with an adviser in one of the firm’s 132 retail offices. Typically, advisers and clients have two or three meetings.
We also gauged the company’s thinking on a critical issue: How much do the Ryans need to budget for medical expenses? Using projections from government and academic sources, the software gave us an estimate of almost $13,000 annually at the outset of retirement — an expense Fidelity assumes will rise by 7 percent annually, a much faster rate than the 2.3 percent for overall inflation.
(As with the other programs we surveyed, we could have asked Fidelity to adjust some of these numbers to better reflect the Ryans’ situation or outlook.)
Advice: After looking at 250 simulations of possible future market returns, Fidelity concluded that the Ryans are at significant risk of running out of money by their early 90s. (All the programs assume you’ll live at least that long.)
To create a bigger safety net, Fidelity told us to put $370,000, or about 30 percent of the couple’s $1.193 million nest egg, into a fixed immediate annuity, which would generate about $22,500 in annual income. (Fidelity offers various other firms’ annuities.) Together, the Ryans’ Social Security, pension and annuity income would cover their essential expenses, such as food and housing — at least at the outset of retirement, since the annuity payment does not increase over time.
Mr. Olsen also suggested the Ryans consider trimming their $10,000 annual travel budget or downsizing by selling their $600,000 home. Alternatively, he said, they could work longer or pick up some part-time work in retirement. He advised them to consider budgeting for big-ticket items, such as new car purchases and the costs of long-term care. He suggested they might consider funding some of this with the $3,600 they now spend annually on life insurance.
Portfolio Construction: Like the other services we tested, this one fits clients into one of a preset menu of model portfolios. In Fidelity’s case, there are six. Because the Ryans face a potential shortfall, Fidelity recommended they reduce their exposure to equities — to 20 percent of their portfolio from 40 percent — and better preserve what they have. (If the couple were to get their finances into better shape, Mr. Olsen says, he’d recommend they ultimately increase their stock exposure to about 50 percent of the portfolio.)
As with the other services, Fidelity advised the Ryans to sell some of the IBM stock that accounts for 13 percent of their holdings. Once a single stock makes up more than 10 percent of a portfolio, it raises “a red flag,” Mr. Olsen said.
Plan Monitoring: Fidelity told us about its myPlan Monitor & Alerts service. Available online, it lets investors track investments held both at Fidelity and elsewhere. If what they have in stocks and bonds differs from what their financial plan says they should have, Fidelity will send an email alert.