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Mark Singer

Your Retirement Guide

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A Note from Mark

Book Cover for Don't Outlive Your Money in Retirement

Take the Are You Ready to Retire? quiz to better understand what stage you’re in on the road to retirement so you can begin planning your best next steps. Walking through these questions offers guidance for knowing exactly where you are and where you’re going on the journey to a successful retirement.

Complete the quiz now and get a free chapter of my book.

Consider the following questions and answer yes/no to determine your retirement stage.

Step 1 of 15

Step 1 of 15

Have you visualized how you will spend your retirement?

Step 2 of 15

Step 2 of 15

Balancing the “new home life” can be tricky as you enter retirement. Are you and your spouse in agreement about your retirement “picture”?

Step 3 of 15

Step 3 of 15

Do you know what your Retirement Number is? (This is the amount your portfolio must be to retire to the lifestyle you desire.)

Step 4 of 15

Step 4 of 15

Have you identified your desired retirement date?

Step 5 of 15

Step 5 of 15

Have you reviewed the cash flow numbers to make sure your desired scenario works for you?

Step 6 of 15

Step 6 of 15

Many who enter retirement are not sure how much risk they need to take with their portfolio. Taking on too much risk, or too little, can be dangerous. Do you know how much risk your portfolio needs to generate the income you need in retirement?

Step 7 of 15

Step 7 of 15

The number one fear of retirees is outliving their money. Is this a concern of yours?

Step 8 of 15

Step 8 of 15

A concern for many is if they spend money today on their bucket list (vacations/home improvements/cars/trips) that it may have an impact on their ability to generate income in the future. Are you comfortable that you can pursue your current bucket list without impacting your income in the future?

Step 9 of 15

Step 9 of 15

Have you developed a Retirement Income Plan that prioritizes where the income will come from and how to reduce your tax exposure?

Step 10 of 15

Step 10 of 15

Have you established a Spousal Continuation Plan so that your surviving spouse will be able to pursue his/her life without you?

Step 11 of 15

Step 11 of 15

Do you know the best way to handle your 401(k) or pension options?

Step 12 of 15

Step 12 of 15

There are 567 different Social Security strategies. Do you know which one will allow you to maximize your family benefits so that you don’t leave tens of thousands of dollars on the table?

Step 13 of 15

Step 13 of 15

Do you have a plan that encompasses all of the different decisions you need to make to meet your overall goals?

Step 14 of 15

Step 14 of 15

Are you comfortable that when you die, your spouse has a trusted advisor to go to for advice and guidance?

Step 15 of 15

Step 15 of 15

During working years, many people may have an advisor to help them with the accumulation of money. However, when you transition into retirement, you enter the distribution stage of planning, and that encompasses a completely different set of conversations. If you are with an advisor, do they specialize in retirement and the complexities of distributing income and assets?