Why You Should Take Your Finances Seriously When You Retire
Retirement is an event many of us cannot wait to experience. We may dream of lazy days, relaxed chats with friends, spending many afternoons with grandchildren, and taking a vacation without submitting a leave application. Yet, few Canadians are ready for the financial ramifications of retirement. For example, you may not have the financial literacy to handle the fast-changing world of banking technology. If you have always depended on your partner to manage the finances, you may struggle to balance your home budget properly or pay the bills on time. Not having help along the way makes retirement life a little less fun. Besides having the companionship of a senior caregiver, you want to know you can enjoy your golden years comfortably. Improving your financial literacy helps.
7 Reasons to Learn Financial Matters in Retirement
You are in a unique financial situation with your own challenges. Now, you are removing money from your retirement accounts instead of putting money in them. Your budget is more critical than ever. You don’t want to run out of money too soon. Sprucing up your financial know-how is a step in the right direction. Here’s why:
- You know how to manage your money better. We can all use some help in understanding finances, especially when retirement income is limited and requires more strategic planning to lessen the tax burden. As you become better at managing your money, you can make better decisions to ensure it lasts longer.
- You can get better interest rates on mortgages and other purchases. Debt-to-income ratios affect how much equity you can obtain from a mortgage refinance or a reverse mortgage. The less debt, the better the interest rates, which means you pay less money overall. This aspect is most helpful in retirement.
- You will better understand insurance policies. Financial literacy entails more than balancing a cheque book. It also involves learning about different financial vehicles such as insurance. When you know more about insurance, you can make good decisions that will aid your future.
- You can manage your debt and credit better. You may enter retirement with a little or a lot of debt. Learning more about the subject of debt management will help you see what debt is doing to your overall financial health so that you can address it effectively.
- You will be able to save for major purchases or events. Instead of taking on more debt, you can learn the benefits of saving for those major purchases or events that come up. You can get the satisfaction of paying for things from your current earnings and not leveraging your future retirement comfort.
- You can understand investments better. Another part of making smart money moves with your retirement accounts is understanding how investments can help mitigate the tax effects on your hard-earned money.
Take Hold of Retirement Living – Choose Home Instead
You have worked too hard to run the risk of harming your retirement years. Take control of your finances by brushing up on new banking techniques, managing debt, and learning the ins and outs of your investments. You can also make your golden years more enjoyable by engaging in life and new pursuits. When you require assistance with cooking, companionship, light housekeeping, and other home health care needs, call in the caring professionals at Home Instead Etobicoke / North York. We provide customized home care services for seniors and their families to ensure these are their best years yet.
Call us at (416) 239-2200 to schedule a no-obligation, in-home consultation. Learn more about the compassionate, quality senior care we deliver, every day, to families in All Etobicoke including: Kingsway, Mimico, Long Branch, Islington, Richview, The Community of Humber Heights, Rexdale, Markland Woods North York West including: Willowdale, Rexdale, Downsview, Humberwood, Weston, York University Heights, Humber Summit and areas in between.