For many people, retirement is a distant fantasy. The concept of retirement planning is still foreign to many people, particularly in India. Few people save for retirement or make particular plans for their later years. However, to live a dignified and comfortable life later, you must plan for a retirement corpus using a smart financial strategy.
Individual investors must bear the burden because India lacks a retirement benefits scheme. Employee provident funds, for example, can assist salaried persons in meeting retirement expenses to some extent, but business owners and independent professionals must explore other options.
Depending on when you start saving, there are many options available to you. These range from public provident funds to mutual funds, to help you create savings for retirement. The sooner you begin saving for retirement, the more money you will be able to accumulate. It may enable you to become a wealthy senior citizen rather than a ward of your children or a family member.
Also Read: What Is Pre-retirement Planning In India?
Firstly, what is retirement planning?
Retirement planning is the process of preparing your money for the time after you retire or stop working. Retirement planning may begin as soon as you receive your first paycheck. However, inflation is known to diminish the purchasing power of your money. Therefore, you must invest in financial products that have the potential to outperform inflation over time. As a result, it assists you in obtaining the funds necessary to live a comfortable retirement lifestyle. Retirement planning also involves estimating retirement needs and calculating your retirement time horizon. It also consists of rating your risk tolerance and determining the tax efficiency of your assets.
So, why is retirement planning important?
The retirement period gets frequently referred to as the “golden years.” A retirement plan helps you guarantee everything you anticipated it to be. Retirement planning ensures financial security throughout one’s life, regardless of the job. Here is a list of reasons why retirement planning is vital and why it will be one of the wisest decisions you will ever make.
- Age: The United Nations estimates Indians over the age of 60 gets expected to rise from 8% to over 20% by 2050. However, once you reach retirement age, you do not have to bury your ideas and ambitions.
- Medical inflation: As you become older, your healthcare costs will only rise. Furthermore, the expense of upkeep is rising as medical inflation quietly raises your expenditures. However, contingency funds from your retirement planning will come in handy.
- Lack of social security: Sweden is well renowned for its complex social security systems, while India is relatively gloomy and inadequate. If you run out of money after retirement, there is no federally sponsored plan to fall back on. Therefore, comprehensive retirement planning might be of great assistance throughout your retirement years.
- Tax break: Retirement planning might also help you save money on taxes. PPF and NSC investments, for example, qualify for tax exemption under Section 80C of the Income Tax Act. These are long-term investments that are appropriate for retirement. There are many investment choices for retirement planning that qualifies for tax benefits.
Tips to plan your retirement
Depending on your age, here’s how you can develop a sizable retirement fund for yourself:
Also Read: Retirement Planning: Traditional real estate method vs. Cryptocurrency?
Investment planning in the 20s
It’s always better to start your savings at the earliest and to invest as soon as possible. Starting early can offer you a leg up on the competition and allow you to try out new products. For example, if you’re in your twenties, you still have roughly four decades to make up for any terrible financial decisions you’ve made.
Equities may appear intriguing to young investors because of their long-term return potential. Mutual fund investing might be an excellent way to diversify your retirement portfolio. The strength of compounding and market-linked gains help to multiply corpus over time. It has the potential to aid in the fight against inflation. Take out a SIP if you can’t make a lump-sum investment. This can assist you in developing a saving habit.
To profit from varied risk and return profiles, diversify your investments across different products.
Investment planning in the 30s
It is not too late to begin making plans for your retirement. You’d have approximately 25-30 years in your 30s to put together your financial portfolio. You can afford to take some risks, but not as much as you might in your 20s, given your increasing obligations.
Aside from an emergency fund, set aside around 50% of your assets for a retirement fund, with at least three months’ worth of spending. In India, this can include a mix of fixed-income investments, shares, and mutual funds. SIPs are still a viable option to think.
Also, Read The Simplest Guide to Retirement Planning You’ve Ever Heard
Investment Planning in your 40s
It’s better to be late than never. You have a lot less time to plan for retirement if you start in your 40s or 50s. You may also have to make important financial decisions at this time, such as your children’s education or marriage. This does not, however, imply that you should disregard your retirement.
Start by reducing unnecessary costs and ensuring that at least 50% of your savings are set aside for retirement (more if you can manage). The limited time frame necessitates aggressive wealth accumulation. So, therefore consider mutual funds. At this point, though, you cannot afford to lose too much money. Bonds, fixed income, and liquid instruments can help to balance things out. Examine your assets to see how they can fit into your retirement goals.
What does real estate offer for your retirement investment plan?
Real estate is frequently a good retirement planning investment strategy. Real estate is a high-yielding asset class. It is also commonly used as a hedge against inflation. Real estate investing also has two major selling points: capital appreciation and rental income.
- REITs: Real estate property investing has two major selling points: these assets constantly increase in value and provide rental income. Unfortunately, there appear to be as many disadvantages as advantages to being a landlord, which is why it is not for everyone. REITs are an easy method to invest in real estate. They have a specific tax position that compels them to distribute at least 90% of their earnings as dividends. Investors in REITs would get rental income, profits from sold residences, or payments on mortgage-backed securities loans. REITs offer capital gains, but the regular dividend income is the main attraction. They avoid corporate taxation by allocating at least 90% of earnings to shareholders.
- Commercial Real Estate: The most enticing investment approach is commercial real estate. Regardless of market volatility, commercial real estate investing generates a consistent source of rental income flow and asset appreciation. Once purchased, commercial real estate may be a hugely profitable source of revenue for the foreseeable future. Owning a CRE property and leasing it to established firms to receive rental income is one of the methods to build a guaranteed income stream. Because rents rise every year, this type of income also helps you remain ahead of inflation.
Here is The Best Investment For Retirement In 2021: Commercial Or Residential Real Estate.
- Residential Real Estate: When most individuals think of real estate investment, they envision purchasing a house and renting it out. The challenge is to constantly have renters who pay enough to cover whatever mortgage you may have on the property, as well as insurance, taxes, and upkeep. The most crucial factors to consider are the location of the property and market rental prices. Another advantage of investing in rental property is the cash flow from rental income through monthly rent. Rental properties can supplement your retirement portfolio by providing an additional source of income. Purchasing a home or two may give you enough money to allow you to retire sooner.
- CRE Crowdfunding: Crowdfunding is the pooling of cash by a group of investors into a real estate project. The concept is that many people contribute a tiny amount to a project. Crowdfunding is quickly becoming a popular and low-cost alternative to investing in real estate. Assume you wish to invest in residential rentals and believe the perfect property is a ten-unit structure, but you do not have the money to make that type of investment. Crowdfunding allows you to join in that sort of endeavor without having to invest a large sum or deal with the bother of owning and managing the property yourself. Initially, investors profit from rental income. CRE investment was previously exclusively open to experienced investors. However, these platforms have recently expanded to allow anybody to engage. As a result, crowdfunding has decreased the barrier to investment in commercial real estate.
- CRE Fractional Ownership: A new kind of property ownership – fractional ownership of property – enables people to get ownership of a piece of property they have been eyeing for some time more simply and economically. Fractional ownership offers investment safety, strong returns, and consistent monthly rental income—the three hallmarks of a solid retirement investment. According to industry data, fractional assets have an internal rate of return (IRR) of 13 to 20%, which is greater than the IRR of most retirement plans. In comparison, schemes such as PMVVY and government securities and bonds provide just 7-8% returns, which is much lower than the profits from commercial real estate. Lease agreements for commercial buildings are such that tenants get locked in for 5-7 years, with a 15% rental income increase every three years. As a result, fractional ownership is an excellent choice for retirees who want a consistent rental income. According to industry experts, fractional ownership is a low-risk, high-return investment in any retirement plan. Seniors can invest up to 25% of their resources in fractional ownership to generate consistent rental income and capital gains.
The secrets of a successful investor
Smart investors have several strategies up their sleeves to help them retire wealthy. Here are some suggestions for saving money wisely:
- Start as soon as you can. You should begin putting money down for your retirement as soon as feasible.
- Diversify your portfolio. Despite how tempting it may sound, do not put all your money into one bucket.
- Put some money in mutual funds, even if you are a risk-averse investor. It helps you profit from compounding.
- Instead of wasting holidays and impulse purchases, save your bonuses.
- Every year, increase the amount you invest and save in proportion to the raises you obtain.
- Consult your partner or spouse about their retirement plans and whether it’s a good idea to combine them.
Also Read: 6 Unexpected Risks To Consider While Planning Your Retirement
It’s never too soon to begin thinking about your retirement. If you start planning your retirement early on, you will put yourself in a fantastic position. Once you’ve started, stick to your plan and keep investing for your retirement. This is where retirement plans can help. They not only help you build the corpus you want but also instill investment discipline. Many young people may believe that retirement preparation is a long way off. However, if you want to retire in style and dignity while maintaining your current lifestyle, you’ll need to plan. It is so because your income sources may reduce as you become older. Assetmonk is India’s largest wealth technology platform, specializing in real estate investments in Bangalore, Hyderabad, and Chennai. Our investors usually compliment us on how well-made our services and products are. Visit us to find out more.
