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Approaching retirement age with little to no savings may feel like standing on a financial cliff edge. Unfortunately, this is an increasingly crowded cliff.
Roughly 1 in 5 adults ages 50 and older say they have no retirement savings, and more than half (61%) worry they won’t have enough to support themselves in their golden years, according to AARP (1). So if you’re at the tail end of your career without a sizable nest egg, you’re not alone.
You may not have enough time to cover lost ground, but that doesn’t mean a comfortable retirement is impossible after age 50. Here’s a simple and practical six-step strategy that can help you salvage your retirement.
Before you create a path to your future, you need to honestly assess your present. Take some time to measure all your assets, liabilities, income and net worth. Try to uncover the key reason why you haven’t managed to save any money so far.
Once you have a clear picture of your current finances and the key elements that are either holding you back or stalling progress, you can start to mitigate these issues going forward. Although your situation may be completely unique, there’s a good chance that one of the key factors holding you back is your spending habits.
However, even with careful planning, it can be difficult to control your household budget — not just because of the natural temptation to overspend, but also due to the rapidly rising cost of living.
According to Primerica, 68% of middle-income Americans say their income is falling behind the cost of living (2). So if your grocery, gas and electricity bills are silently chewing away your monthly paycheck, you’re not alone.
With that in mind, it’s worth taking an audit of all your expenses for a 30- or 90-day period to see how much you’re really spending.
A quick daily check-in of your accounts can show you exactly where your money is going.
An app like Rocket Money can easily flag recurring subscriptions, upcoming bills and unusual charges by pulling in transactions from all your linked accounts.
This can help you cut unnecessary costs, and then you can manually redirect savings straight into your retirement fund. No spreadsheets, no guesswork, no stress. Small habits like this can make a big difference over time.
Rocket Money’s intuitive app offers a variety of free and premium tools. Free features include subscription tracking, bill reminders and budgeting basics, while premium features — like automated savings, net worth tracking, customizable dashboards and more — make it easier to stay on top of your retirement contributions and overall financial goals.
Keep in mind that without an accurate measure of your expenses, you may struggle with the next step: saving more.
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With limited time at your disposal, one of the key levers you can pull to create some financial security is to raise your savings rate.
It doesn’t take much to get ahead of the pack here. As of January, the personal savings rate is just 4.5%, according to Federal Reserve data (3). If you can raise the bar to 8%, 10% or even 15%, you could put yourself on a much faster path to financial independence, regardless of your age.
To be fair, saving more is easier said than done, especially if you haven’t audited your spending habits.
But a few adjustments to your lifestyle and regular expenses could make a big difference. Simply trading in your car for a cheaper, used model could give you a massive boost.
You can also look for ways to earn more on the funds you do have.
A high-yield account like a Wealthfront Cash Account can be a great place to grow your uninvested cash, offering both competitive interest rates and easy access to your money when you need it.
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%.
That’s 10 times the national deposit savings rate, according to the FDIC’s March report (4).
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%.
With no minimum balances or account fees, as well as 24/7 withdrawals and free domestic wire transfers, your funds remain accessible at all times. Plus, you get access to up to $8M FDIC Insurance eligibility through program banks.
Another lever you can pull is your income. After roughly 50 years, your experience is probably your biggest asset.
Use that to your advantage by seeking out freelance consulting gigs, conducting workshops or networking with your peers to supercharge your career in these late innings. A 10% to 15% bump in annual income — combined with a 10% to 15% savings rate — could be the game changer you need to save for your retirement in your 50s.
Building a robust nest egg isn’t the only way to secure a comfortable retirement. You could take an unconventional approach to reshape your golden years. For instance, consider selling your primary residence to rent a smaller condo. Downsizing could unlock the equity you have built up in the family home and allow you to enjoy your retirement.
Even if you choose to downsize, you can continue to reap the rewards of real estate investing through crowdfunding platforms like Arrived.
Backed by world-class investors, including Jeff Bezos, Arrived allows you to invest in shares of vacation and rental properties, earning a passive income stream without the extra work that comes with being a landlord of your own rental property.
To get started, simply browse through their selection of vetted properties, each picked for their potential appreciation and income generation. Once you choose a property, you can start investing with as little as $100, potentially earning monthly dividends.
Another creative idea? Moving to a new state or country. More than half (52%) of Americans surveyed by The Harris Poll believe they can live a higher quality of life abroad — and for those who have considered an international move, nearly half (49%) say their primary motivator is the lower cost of living outside the U.S. (5).
So, if you imagine spending your golden years on a beach in Panama, it may be a good idea to rethink your retirement plan.
With little time and savings, you could consider delaying retirement to give yourself a longer runway. In fact, 70% of U.S. adults ages 50 and older say they have considered delaying retirement — and nearly a quarter say they are definitely pushing the date back, according to F&G Annuities & Life (6).
If you reschedule your retirement from age 62 to 67, you could give yourself five extra years of income, savings and compound growth to expand your nest egg further. For many older adults, this extra boost can make a big difference. It can also unlock another catalyst for financial security: higher Social Security benefits.
Although many of your peers may be eager to claim Social Security benefits as early as possible, delaying your claim until full retirement age can let you get 100% of your benefits every month.
That’s because delaying gives you additional credits that can enhance your financial security. For instance, if your full retirement age is 67, delaying until 70 could expand your monthly payout by 24% (7). For older adults with little to no independent savings, this double-digit boost can make all the difference.
Clearly, there’s a lot to consider, from the optimal age to start taking Social Security to the right time to retire. A financial advisor can help crunch the numbers and build a plan that works for your individual situation.
Of course, it’s important to find an advisor you can trust — and that’s where Advisor.com can come in. The platform connects you with an expert near you for free.
Advisor.com does the heavy lifting for you, vetting advisors based on track record, client ratios and regulatory background. Plus, their network comprises fiduciaries, who are legally required to act in your best interests.
Just enter a few details about your finances and goals, and Advisor.com’s AI-powered matching tool will connect you with a qualified expert best suited for your needs based on your unique financial goals and preferences.
A professional advisor can also help you determine how many years you have left to invest before retirement and assess your comfort level with market fluctuations — two key factors in building the right asset mix for your portfolio.
Through Advisor.com, you can schedule a free, no-obligation consultation to discuss your retirement goals and long-term financial plan.
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AARP (1); Primerica (2); Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (3); FDIC (4); The Harris Poll (5); F&G (6); Social Security Administration (7)
This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.
