Jan 22, 2024

Question of the Day: What is the #1 reported mistake related to planning for retirement?

If your financial goal in retirement is to worry about nothing, it's good to be aware of everything.

Answer:

  1. Underestimating the impact of inflation
  2. Underestimating how long you will live
  3. Overestimating investment income

An older person holding a jar of coins labeled "savings."

 

Questions:

  • Why do you think underestimating the impact of inflation could be a significant mistake when planning for retirement?
  • Discuss the importance of life expectancy in retirement planning. How can you plan for an uncertain lifespan?
  • What factors should be considered when estimating investment income for retirement? Why might some people overestimate how much income their investments will generate?

 

Here are the ready-to-go slides for this Question of the Day that you can use in your classroom.

 

Behind the numbers (Visual Capitalist):

"According to professionals, the most common retirement planning mistakes are time-related, like outliving savings or not understanding how inflation can affect a portfolio over time.

The number one mistake? According to 49% of financial planners, it’s underestimating the sizable impact inflation has on the value of retirement savings."

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NGPF's Investing unit will arm your students with valuable knowledge and skills in investing for their future

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Check out one of NGPF's most popular investing activities in which students track the long-term performance of stocks they select: 5 Stocks on Your Birthday

About the Author

Ryan Wood

Ryan grew up with and maintains a love for learning. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay with a degree in Business Administration and worked in sports marketing for a number of years. After living in Texas, Colorado, Tennessee, and Minnesota, the call of education eventually brought Ryan back to his home state of Wisconsin where he was a Business and Marketing teacher for three years. In his free time he likes to spend time with his wife and daughter, play basketball, read, and go fishing. Now with NGPF, Ryan is excited to help teachers lead the most important course their students will ever take.

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