The question on many people's minds these days is how to recover their lost retirement funds. It's happened to all of us—we invested our hard earned money only to watch the economy fall and our investments wither away. Even the low risk accounts are dwindling, making it hard to believe that we will have enough to retire on, much less meet our other financial goals.
Fortunately, there are some smart tips, that can help you rebuild your accounts and get back onto firm financial footing.
- In order for your accounts to recover, you need to be adding money to them and not withdrawing it. This can be hard to do if you are pressed for funds. While the loss of money has already hit home, try living on the amount of retirement income you'll have at current levels for a month or two. Can you do it? This reality check may help you find the strength to put more money in and not take any out. It's true that the economy has hit record lows, but with some smart investing you can find ways to begin to rebuild your investments.
- Even though you aren't taking your money out of your accounts to live on, you may need to alter your money in order to recover your lost retirement funds. While the stock market has declined, the bond market is still seeing returns. They won't be as high as a well-managed stock portfolio was a few years ago, but it's still a return on your money and a sound investment in a shaky financial environment. Also, with stocks at record lows, putting your new retirement contributions towards buying them can actually be a smart move. It seems counterintuitive, but those stocks are likely to rise in the future, giving you a good return over time. Finding the proper equilibrium between risk levels with your money, however, is really the key to rebuilding your wealth.
- No matter what choices you make, seeing a qualified financial advisor should be one of them. No one knows the market better, and these professionals are your best choice to recover lost retirement funds. They know the ins and out of investing, risk factors, and market history, and they can work with you to meet your needs. Whether you need a plan to help you retire soon or want to find ways to plan for a retirement thirty years down the road, they are specialist in the field and can help find the best plan for the time and resources you have.
Recovering lost retirement funds isn't easy, but it can be done. With some smart planning and the help of a financial advisor, you can begin to cultivate your accounts again even in a unstable market. Life has thrown your plans for a loop, but smart investing can help you retire securely in time.
------
Questions? Email me at wesley@thewandwgroup.com, visit our website at
http://www.thewandwgroup.com and visit our blog at
http://newmoneytalk.com . New Money Talk is a weekly article focusing on retirement, personal finance, and estate planning.
Comments and questions are welcome, but because of the volume of email, personal responses are not always possible.
