Since mid-2021, consumers of all ages have been buckling under the weight of inflation. But it's fair to say that inflation has been a particular problem for retirees, many of whom live on a fixed income that consists largely of Social Security.
In a recent Edward Jones survey, 63% of respondents cited inflation as the most significant financial shock they've experienced in retirement. And if you want to set yourself up to better cope with inflation as a retiree, then there's one important step you need to take.
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Build up your savings while you can
A big reason retirees tend to struggle during periods of inflation is that Social Security has long done a poor job of helping seniors maintain buying power. Quite the contrary -- recent data from the Senior Citizens League reveals that Social Security recipients have lost a good 36% of their buying power since the year 2000 even when accounting for this year's giant cost-of-living adjustment.
And that's why it's so important to build up your own retirement nest egg. If you save well during your working years, you might end up with a nice pile of savings by the time your senior years roll around. And the ability to dip into your savings when living costs climb could make inflation much easier to manage.
The best part is that you don't necessarily need to max out a 401(k) plan over your entire career to end up with a nice-sized nest egg. If you're able to sock away $500 a month in a retirement plan over a 40-year period, and your investments in that plan generate an average annual 10% return, which is in line with the stock market's average, you'll end up with over $2.6 million.
Even if your portfolio is set up more conservatively, a 7% average annual return will leave you with about $1.2 million. That's not exactly pocket change.
Don't get thrown by inflation
Inflation has the potential to create a world of stress when you're on a very tight budget. The more savings you're able to bring with you into retirement, the more financial flexibility you'll get later in life. So if you haven't yet made building a nest egg a priority, the sooner you change your mindset, the better.
It may be that you're at the midpoint of your career with no money socked away for your future. But it's by no means too late to start building up savings.
A monthly investment of $500 over 20 years at an average annual 7% return will still leave you with close to $250,000. And in that scenario, you could always extend your career to allow for a few extra years of savings.
Although inflation is a natural part of the economic cycle, rampant inflation, which is what we've been experiencing since mid-2021, has the potential to cause a lot of problems. The more money you're able to save, the less of an issue inflation should end up being once your career comes to an end.
