Tip of the Day: Planning for Retirement

Oct. 27, 2010— -- There are lots of factors you need to plan for when considering your retirement.

They include: your lifespan, distribution rate (how much you withdraw each year), inflation, taxes, market volatility, rate of return, health care costs, and your estate goals.

It's also important to understand where your income is coming from and whether your sources are exhaustible or lifelong.

Make sure your lifetime income is greater than or equal to your essential retirement expenses as you work to build your plan. Finally, remember to reevaluate your portfolio when market conditions change, when your needs change, and if time and asset withdrawals change the balance of your portfolios.

Retirees should plan to have "5 years of living expenses in safe, liquid spots, like online bank accounts, high yield savings accounts, money-market funds and CDs," says Linda Stern of Newsweek magazine.

Considering early retirement? You have to wait until at least age 62 to receive benefits. CLICK HERE to find out what percentage of your benefits you can receive depending on how early you retire.

Click HERE for resources that can help you determine how and when you should apply for Medicare. You should also seriously consider long-term care or other additional insurance to supplement baseline Medicare coverage.

One of the common pitfalls of retirement planning is making the assumption that most health care costs will be covered by the government.

If you underestimate the significant health care costs which could be your responsibility, you may discover that you won't be able to afford the quality of care you desire, or you may need to tap into savings slated for other expenses.