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Stretching your dollars in retirement

What constitutes a perfect retirement is different for everyone. Some people may imagine spending their golden years fishing their days away, while others may aspire to finally embrace their inner globetrotter.

Average life expectancies have risen considerably over the last several decades.

No one knows how long they will live, but everyone can embrace a handful of money management strategies to increase the chances that they won’t feel a financial pinch in retirement.

• Study up on the tax implications of withdrawing from your retirement accounts. Every retirement investment vehicle, whether it’s an IRA or a 401(k), has tax implications. Money withdrawn too early may incur tax penalties, and even money withdrawn long past retirement age could elevate retirees into a new tax bracket that could prove costly.

• Prioritize your own needs. Though retirees, particularly those with children and grandchildren, may feel an obligation to help their families in difficult financial times, generosity can be very costly for adults who have stopped working. Retirees may or may not have opportunities to generate new income, and even those who do likely won’t make enough to meet their daily financial needs.

• Examine your housing situation. Equity in a home is a feather in the cap of many retirees. Retirees who own their homes and live in locations with high property taxes might be able to cash in on their equity by selling their homes and downsizing to a smaller home with lower property taxes. If moving is not a consideration, discuss a reverse mortgage with a financial adviser. A trusted financial advisor can highlight the advantages and disadvantages of reverse mortgages, which are a great option for some people to improve their financial well-being in retirement.

• Stick to a budget during retirement. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reports that roughly 70What constitutes a perfect retirement is different for everyone. Some people may imagine spending their golden years fishing their days away, while others may aspire to finally embrace their inner globetrotter. Though individuals’ retirement dreams differ, every retiree will need money, which only underscores the importance of a wise and disciplined approach to money management.

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