What is confusing about Retirement?
I have decided to ask questions on my blog so that I know what topics I should write about.
I am sure this is not a new idea, and many bloggers would have done this…I would prefer that you ask the questions on the blog itself..if you ask in FB..it gets lost.
If you cannot ask from one browser try another browser – technology is not really my cup of tea and my tech man is playing truant..not sure where is absconding…
So whatever worries you / bugs you / confuses you / please ask – this could become very important for the sequel investment / retirement book…
thanks in advance..
Kumar
I’ve crossed this stage, but these are the same things I hear from my colleagues aged between 30 and 35 (many of whom have doctorates). Not retirement specific, but still:
– Whenever I get save up money, I just buy gold and put some in FDs. I am set for retirement.
– I have NPS. Why should I invest in equities for retirement?
– My father lost money trading mutual funds.
– Equities are rigged. It’s all a scam.
– I don’t understand equities. Shares are for getting your fingers burned.
– If I could, I’d change the government NPS to remove the 15% equity allocation.
– My employer provides me life insurance. Why do I need more?
– I bought a ULIP because my bank asked me to buy one for a locker.
– I don’t need health insurance. My employer provides me full coverage.
– I’m buying a flat with the pay commission arrears. For investment purposes, of course.
– What do you mean want and need. Of course I “need” an iPhone/iPad/MacBook. I can’t be productive without them.
I’ll get some more for you if I can.
Pranesh
Hello sir
Please have article on 40 years old person who have undetstood mistake of not starting early
vasu
I have taken for early retirement after working for sometime in Gulf and creating enough wealth for financial security and to pursue my non-commercial hobbies. The problem I face is social. My wife and her friends find it difficult to see me without “JOB”! My son finds difficult fill the school form! i have no solution other than to break my purpose of early retirement and find some job!
lakshminarasimman
sir, first of all thank you very much for making me think differently and refocus my retirement. i was thinking i was comfortable. after reading your blog and then from there going to pattabiraman murari blog i got more clarity
here are my worries
– what to do if your wife is not at all ready to discuss about death old age etc feeling it is not auspicious
– if i die first, how to ensure constant monthly income for wife from corpus considering not much annuity options.
– how to minimize online as well as physical bank transactions when 60+.. we cant remember all passwords and going too many times to bank also difficult
– if children are abroad and my wife dies, how to relocate money or what things to consider
Abhir
Challenge is to convert all theory into practical approach. Though not all challenges listed below are not specific to retirement but will surely dent the retirement if not implemented properly.
1) How to change asset allocation over the years – at 35 / at 45 / at 55 and so on.
2) How to move gradually from Equity portfolio created for daughter when she will approach her higher studies
3) If I do not want to buy annuity ( hence no NPS either) – what are better alternatives ( like POMIS)
4) It’s always being said that one should review portfolio on yearly basis and cut the garbage. Then there are some more theories which says, you have to ask yourself why you have bought fund/stock in first place.
Take an example of HDFC Equity, with it’s great history and PJ stature, performance in last couple of years makes it a candidate to get rid of (especially more when you know you can switch to better performing Franklin India Prima Plus).
Now throw a question, why you have bought it in first place and what has changed, if answer is long term performance and fund manager, then
nothing is changed.So what should one do ?
What’s the practical approach to conclude such confusions
6) Succession planning ( Some interesting questions already put by lakshminarasimman)
Hari upadrasta
My confusion:
Should I spend more on child’s education or retirement?
Some peer pressure to send kids to good schools.
If I send I know that I may not save for retirement,
If I send them to not so good schools I may feel guilt later.
Raghavan
What is the magical number ( corpus need ) for me to retire
EV
As a freshly turned 30-year-old, who has saved up enough to sustain a semi-frugal life for myself over the next 50 years,
should I retire to pursue other interests related to travelling and personal development,
or should I follow the route of the rat-race+marriage+kids+related expenses, and discard/delay dreams.
Abhi
@Hari – Just by sending kids to good schools won’t make them bright. There are lots of great ppl who’ve achieved new heights even after studying in Govt. schools.
Anish
I don’t even know the change in expense pattern when I retire. Like I am 30 now and I spend more on technology (smart phone, bluetooth, Smart Tv). When people grow old what do they spend on – Doctors, medicines, pilgrimage, supporting kids for downpayments, etc ?
I never see my financial planner help me with defining goals. He asks ‘what are your goals?’ I didn’t know I will buy iPhone in 2016 which would cost Rs 60k and off course these things need financial planning. How can I know what I would need at age 60 ?
Deepak
Hello Sir,
With the new EPF rules, birth of NPS,
Change in interest rate offering by SmallSavings scheme (dynamic offering qrtrly)… Your re. 40 per day book is obsoleted. We need complete ly overhauled, rewritten from scratch content now.
Manju
I have enough income to take care of my retirement. RE, FDs, Bonds, Gold, MFs – in the same order as I am too late to the party! Trying to keep the allocation equal now, okay somewhat equal! Very recently (read: after started reading your blog) started accumulating shares of some of the blue chip companies. Now the question is, how much this would help me during my retirement. Or, what proportion should be in direct equities?
Arun
Please give a sample of the questions one can try to answer to create a retirement plan. Help us build some kind of template that one can fill and then work towards a plan..maybe something similar to what the retirement planners use to capture info about their clients.
Surya
Hi Sir,
Found your blog a short while back and have been a regular reader since.
I fall in the category of sub 30 salaried class who recently started planning for a retirement corpus and wish had done it sooner.
Reading blogs and columns had led me to believe the basics are:
1. To have patience (Rome wasn’t built in a day)
2. The primary attribute is Discipline
3. Stick to what you understand
4. Leave stock picking to people who are professionally trained to do so
5. Do not look for ‘too good to be true returns’ as they are probably just that
I have been following the theme since and since my expectations are modest have not been disappointed.
The primary worry that I have at this point of time is:
1. Since the corpus is small I can allocate the same within a small bunch of MFs and other products; but would I be so confident if the corpus grows to be big?
2. Most materials talk about the keys to investing & how to invest. A relatively few talk about how to withdraw. Since I am pretty new and would not be withdrawing for at least a few years I was hoping to get smart about this along the way.
Really glad you posted this blog as an open ended question as I would have gotten around to asking you the same eventually.
Thanks a ton.
Best,Surya
MiraD
Silly question disclaimer.
Live frugally and leave your inheritors happy.
OR
Live too well and run the risk of an empty coffer.
How to balance?
Jig
Dear Subra,
I have liquid in hand and want to generate second income parallel as working in middle east. At the same time i become confuse for investing this for retirement( income after retire) or should start something to generate income? i am investing in equity through SIP for kids education.
What you will do with 25 lac in hand with current scneerario? fully equity investment, Real estate or FD or something like start up? I am 36, married with 2 kids.
Can i expect reply ?
Thanks
Jig
Ankur Lakhia
Subra sir, I had like to get some inputs through your posts on following:
1. How to provide for or take into account “unknown unknown”, classic black swan events.
2. How much to take into account for “known unknown” like medical emergencies. In some cases, health insurance cover might not be adequate.
3. How to account for external risks. When I look at what is happening in some middle east countries, I wonder what happens to these people’s financial life. These are risks beyond control of a person and having very low probabilities but extremely high impact.