5 retirees give financial tips for a happy and content retirement

Retiring is a stage in everybody’s lives where supposedly it’s time to enjoy the fruits of one’s labor. People worked hard in their entire lives to have a secured future. But sometimes, that is not how it goes for some, especially those who did not prepare for their retirement. Here are pieces of financial advice from actual retirees on how to prepare for life post-retirement.

Suze Orman

According to Suze Orman, a retiree, she can breathe a sigh of relief knowing she can take care of her bills even if she stopped working already. Thanks to the investments she put up ahead in preparation for retirement, she is now reaping its benefits.

She highly encourages people to start investing for retirement starting at 13 years old. Moreover, she also said investing in a Roth IRA helps. In the numbers game, more retirees are found to be content in investing in Roth IRA since they will not be affected by sudden taxes they are not aware of.

Orman also mentions investing in your own health. Getting advanced in age increases the risk of getting diseases or accidents. Investing in a Health Savings Account or HSA could also be an attractive option. The account holder can withdraw money anytime, and he or she is not required to pay taxes when converted to a retirement plan.

Ahouva Steinhaus

Ahouva Steinhaus, 69 years old, says the best way to prepare for retirement is to have a paid and remodeled home so that senior citizens can live in peace without worrying where to spend the rest of their lives. Having a paid house means you don’t have to worry about a mortgage, plus, unnecessary withdrawals from retirement funds can be avoided.

Joe and Ali Olson

Joe and Ali Olson might be unconventional to some because they are already retired in their early 30s. They spent just eight years in the workforce and was able to save $1 million in the bank. The couple shared that they lived off their means and started to invest in real estate as early as 2007 when properties were available at cheap prices due to the financial crisis.

People should start investing for retirement while they are still young. (Source)

They saved 75 percent of their income regardless of their incomes increased or not. For Joe, contentment is the key. “For me, financial independence was really easy to get because we were happy just living in our fairly small place, and eating at home, and just being efficient with how we spent money,” he added.

Bud Hebeler

Henry K. “Bud” Hebeler was able to increase his wealth now at 80 years old compared to when he was freshly retired. How did he do it? Hebeler says early education on retirement plans helped him. With the knowledge he had from professional wealth managers, he was able to invest in bonds and bond ladders.

He converted his company’s 401(k) to a Roth IRA and acquired a laddered Treasury Inflation-Protected (TIPS) to avoid taxes. As a result, as the Savings Bonds matures, the laddering also matures.