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For many retirees, their biggest fear is outliving their money. A sudden market crash or intense wave of inflation wiping out purchasing power could unlock a dreaded outcome: poverty in old age.
This could be why 67% of Americans surveyed by Allianz Life (1) said they were more worried about running out of money in retirement than death.
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But this survey is based on sentiment. Another report by researchers David Blanchett and Michael Finke focused on actual spending data and came to a surprising conclusion: many retirees are actually underspending.
Here’s why there’s a good chance that your fears of draining your portfolio are overblown.
Retirees spend income, not savings
In a 2024 study published in the CFP Board’s Financial Planning Review journal (2), Blanchett and Finke found that retirees display a “behavioral resistance to spending down savings.” Instead, retirees focus on spending income from various sources such as Social Security, pensions and wages. In fact, nearly 80% of their lifetime spending is fueled by these sources.
The report also found that a typical 65-year-old couple only withdraws 2.1% from their portfolio annually, while a single 65-year-old withdraws just 1.9%. Both are significantly lower than the standard 4% rule (3) that is widely recommended by financial experts.
Additionally, this study focused on 65-year-olds, meaning these retirees are still in the ‘go-go’ years of retirement — or when spending is expected to be highest.
Simply put, millions of seniors and retirees with robust sources of income and modest portfolios could be needlessly living in fear. Their chances of outliving their money are probably lower than they believe, although it’s always important to take your health into consideration.
If the data hasn’t eased your concerns, here’s how you can boost your life satisfaction and peace of mind in retirement.
Read More: Millionaires under 43 hold only 25% of their wealth in stocks. Here’s where their money is actually going
How to eliminate fear in retirement
Once you’re aware of this subconscious need to preserve savings, you can plan around it. For instance, hiring a professional financial expert could help you counter-act your behavioural bias towards spending from Social Security rather than withdrawals.
Advisor.com’s powerful matching engine can help connect you with an expert for free, and their network includes fiduciaries who are legally obligated to put your interests first. Once you have an experienced co-pilot by your side, you can mitigate the fear and make money moves with more confidence.
Better yet, Advisor.com lets you set up a free initial consultation, with no obligation to hire, to see if they’re the right fit for you.
Another way to mitigate this subconscious bias is to create buckets of money with clear “labels” to make pre-planned decisions easier. For instance, you could automate a certain withdrawal from your retirement accounts to flow directly into a high-yield account like a Wealthfront Cash Account that is clearly designated “spending money.”
This way you don’t have to pull the withdrawal trigger yourself, you can let your apps and accounts do the work in the background. And you don’t need to feel guilty about spending your investments because a high-yield account offers a reasonable rate of return — typically higher than the rate of inflation to avoid the erosion of your purchasing power.
A Wealthfront Cash Account currently offers a base APY of 3.30% through program banks, and new clients can get an extra 0.75% boost during their first three months on up to $150,000 for a total variable APY of 4.05%.
Additionally, Wealthfront is offering new clients who enable direct deposit ($1,000/mo minimum) to their Cash Account and open and fund a new investment account an additional 0.25% APY increase with no expiration date or balance limit, meaning your APY could be as high as 4.30%.
If part of your fear is based on what happens to your family after your death, consider signing up for term life insurance from Ethos.
Ethos is rated “Excellent” on Trustpilot, and has an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau (BBB). The platform offers simple and affordable coverage for a set period of time — typically between 10 and 30 years.
As a licensed third-party insurance administrator, Ethos has joined forces with some of the industry’s top insurance carriers, such as Banner Life, TruStage Financial and Ameritas Life Insurance.
Ethos gives you the flexibility to select coverage amounts ranging from $2,000 to $100,000. Premiums start at just $9.80 a month and are guaranteed throughout the term.
You can get coverage in just 10 minutes online or by phone, with no medical exams or blood tests required.
Bottom line: you don’t need to spend your golden years in constant anxiety. A few strategic moves can make sure your money lasts decades even while you have a chance to fully enjoy it.
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Article Sources
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Allianz Life (1); SSRN (2); New York State Deferred Compensation Plan (3)
This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.
