What Are The Pros Of Investing In Your Pension
A pension is basically a long-term investments plan with tax relief. Getting tax relief on pensions means some of your money that would have gone to the government as tax goes into your pension instead. Most pensions today are defined contribution schemes . Both, however, enjoy the same tax advantages, making them more efficient investment vehicles than any other mainstream product.
As you save into a pension pot, it builds up compound interest over a period of many years. The earlier you start investing in a pension, the more youll benefit, as the interest itself earns more interest and the whole pot grows faster.
If you have a self-invested personal pension you can take more control over the types of investments you include in it. You can even invest in property via your SIPP, so its not an either-or question about pension or property you can invest in one using the other.
If you’re looking to open a SIPP account, you can compare the best SIPPs on the market here.
How To Reverse Engineer The Desired Result
Not surprisingly, there are many different ways to achieve the end goal. It’s just a matter of deciding what I’m willing to sacrifice to the table in order to get there.
As I play around with this calculator, I can come up with one set of assumptions that will get me there.
Assumptions:
- I will be able to consistently find deals with average cash on cash return of 12%.
- I will be financing all of my properties with 30-year mortgages that require 25% down and a fixed interest rate of 5%.
- I will invest $20,000 of new principal into my portfolio each year for 20 years.
- I will reinvest all of my after-tax cash flow into buying more properties during this 20 year period.
- When I hit the 20-year mark, I will STOP all new principal investments and instead, I will start withdrawing 50% of my annual pre-tax profit to cover my living expenses.
- The remaining 50% of my profits will be continually reinvested into my portfolio in the following years. In this way, my real estate portfolio will continue growing without any new principal investment from me .
Adjust Expenses For Retirement
Will you spend more, less, or the same in retirement? Of course, that depends on your situation. But dont be surprised if the total expenses are less than you spend during your working years.
Why would this be so?
What if you own your residence free and clear? Wont that save you money?
What if you earn most of your income from rentals sheltered by depreciation? Thats the point of this article, right? Youll pay a LOT less in taxes with sheltered rental income compared with the high salary years at work.
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Investing In Real Estate For Retirement When Should You Start
Itâs never too early to start investing in real estate for retirement. And the timeline can vary from one person to another. Retiring early at 45 is different from retiring at 65 but if youâre already considering real estate as a retirement investment, thereâs no set start date. The earlier you start, the more time youâll have to research, gain experience, and save money. Whatever you decide to do, make sure to start somewhere, and happy retirement!
How To Go About Real Estate Investing For Retirement
#1: Plan
The very first thing you should do when considering real estate investing for retirement is to identify a set of realistic goals that you want to achieve. You will also need to create both short and long term plans for the coming years. Depending on when you decide to retire, your plans will vary in length and nature.
#2: Locate
We always emphasize the importance of research when it comes to real estate investment. You will most likely choose to invest in the city you are retiring in. If so, your next step of research should be searching for an affordable and convenient property. Type in the name of the city or neighborhood you are interested in, and Mashvisor will provide you with property listings along with information on rental income, occupancy rates, cap rate, etc. in different neighborhoods. Use this information to help you in choosing the optimal investment whether traditional or Airbnb, or single-family or multi-family property.
#3 Finance
If you have not already, you need to start saving cash. Analyze cash flow, rental return, CoC return, cap rate, and other values. Mashvisor allows you to do so with the click of a button. This is especially helpful if you are looking at values for multiple properties.
One of your goals in real estate for retirement should be to have positive cash flows. After all, you cannot afford lose on a real estate investment for retirement.
Related: Financing a Rental Property: Whats The Best Way?
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The Formula And How To Apply It To Your Situation
Theres no one-size-fits-all answer to this question, as the number of properties youll need for retirement will vary depending on a variety of factors like your location, the current market conditions, and how much money youre looking to make each month. However, there is a general formula that can help you get an idea of how many properties youll need.
First youll need to consider your retirement expenses. Decide if you want to keep your current lifestyle, make deductions, or increase your spending capabilities. Once you have a number in mind to cover everything youll need you can then follow this simple formula:
Monthly amount you need for retirement ÷ Cash flow from each rental property = number of rental properties needed
*Cash flow = Income Expenses
For example, if youre looking to generate a monthly income of $2000 from your rental properties, and the average rent for a property in your area is $1000, you would need two properties. But remember, this formula doesnt account for elements that can affect your income but are out of your control. Such as:
- Fluctuations in interest rates
- Change in tax rates
Want To Use My Spreadsheet
If this is something you’re interested in, I wanted to make it available to you in a more automated fashion. If you sign up as an REtipster Email Subscriber, you can get instant access to it, right here on the site. I hope you find it helpful as you’re planning your retirement strategy. Best of luck!
Note: I only send emails to my list when they’re particularly relevant and important so don’t worry, signing up for this email list will NOT result in piles of junk emails in your inbox.
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Should I Seek Professional Financial Advice
Planning how youll fund your retirement requires a great deal of thought so youll have peace of mind that youve made the best possible decision. Its always best to take financial advice first. A financial adviser can help you decide which route suits your needs and goals, so you can look forward to the retirement youve always dreamed of.
Invest For Retirement In Annuities
Annuities are insurance contracts that provide consistent, long-term income payments. Some people choose annuities when they invest for retirement for safety and security. And annuities are widely advertised as a safe way to provide regular paychecks in retirement.
There are a very wide variety of different annuities out there, however, and theres a lot to learn about these products. Job number one is to watch out for high costs. Some annuities can involve complicated phrasings and difficult-to-understand or hidden fees.
At first glance, annuities appear to work a lot like other investments. You buy a policy and then receive back the money you paidand then some. Theyre often compared to bonds or certificates of deposit , but with higher returns. Some annuities even allow you to purchase stocks in them and benefit from stock market growth with what seems to be less risk.
There are three main types of annuity contracts. Many retirement experts recommend you stick with fixed annuities. They offer guaranteed repayments of your purchase price plus a modest return, and lower fees than other types. Comparison shopping is also much easier with fixed annuities because their language and structures tend to be clearer.
The other two main types are variable annuities and index annuities. Variable annuities offer no guaranteed payments, are confusingly written, and may actually cause you to lose some of the money you paid if the investments in the annuity perform poorly.
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The Modern Stock & Options Trading Show
Russ Mathews hosts The Modern Stock & Options Trading Show. Mathews opines on the fundamentals of puts and calls and how you can put them to work in your portfolio. Episodes like How To Make Your Money Work Harder in the Stock Market and Inflation Has Peaked What It Means for Markets explain how you can take advantage of market fluctuations and circumstances to increase your wealth.
What Are The Cons Of Property Investment
Like any financial asset, investing in property carries risk. Burgeoning house prices have often produced a great return, but this isnt guaranteed. When working out the rental yields you could expect from a property youll need to consider the costs such as maintenance, repairs, insurances, tax and other fees. Capital growth how much the property is likely to be worth when you come to sell compared to what you paid for it is also an important factor.
Liquidity may be your biggest problem that is, how easy it is to get your money out when you need it. Selling a property can take many months, so if you are relying on the proceeds for your retirement then youll need to plan well in advance. Youll also need back-up plans in case sales fall through or the .
If youre planning to fund your retirement from rents alone, bear in mind that these may not be enough to bring you the income you need, especially if you still have mortgages to pay on the propert. Also bear in mind that being a landlord isnt an easy job, and you may not want this responsibility as you grow older. You can of course get an agency to handle most of it, but this will eat into your income.
Property also isnt very flexible. You cant just put an extra £10,000 or so into property it forces you to invest in chunks of many tens or even hundreds of thousands of pounds. This can limit your ability to expand your portfolio, unless you are already very wealthy.
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Invest In Property That You Already Own
It’s hard to beat the security of your own home, especially if you’re planning on staying put for the long haul. Nearly 80% of senior citizens owned homes going into 2022.
“When you own a home, it’s possible to pay down your mortgage debt and build equity at the same timeboth of which are attractive retirement investment strategies,” says Cliff Auerswald, President of All Reverse Mortgage. You can also rent out rooms or even move into a smaller rental property and rent out the rest of your house!
- Buy a multi-family home or commercial building
If living in one place isn’t an option for you right now, consider investing in a multi-family home or commercial building where other people will be paying rent while making your mortgage payments for you every month .
While this type of real estate may require slightly more upfront capital than single family homes do, there are often tax benefits associated with owning multiple properties as well as increased potential for growth over time if done correctly!
What Tax Considerations Should You Be Aware Of
In this final section, were going to take a look at the different tax considerations you need to be aware of if you plan to invest in property. Again, you should be able to talk through this with a financial advisor if you get one, but were here to share the basics.
Weve already mentioned buy-to-let mortgages, but there are some other tax-related considerations you need to know about. In 2016, new rules were put in place regarding stamp duty on second properties. This is around a 3% increase on standard stamp duty, so you may need to factor this into your costs depending on the price of the property.
Whats more, if you have other income streams as an investor, taxation on your rented property will need to be worked out accordingly. Therefore, you need to think about all your earnings when investing in a property.
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Investing In Real Estate
Real estate investment works especially for people in certain situations. Its good for investors with a lot of startup capital and who can take risks, while its less suitable for those looking to build an account overtime or who need more stability. Investing in real estate can mean a wide variety of things. While you can pursue some more sophisticated options such as generating income through rentals or investing in properties to flip, the most common ways to invest in real estate are either purchasing a property directly or investing in a real estate investment trust .
Investing in an REIT means that you will buy shares in a portfolio-based fund. This is similar to buying shares in a mutual fund or an ETF. The main difference is that an REIT portfolio owns physical properties such as offices, apartments and homes. It rents and sells those properties, and the portfolios returns are based on the income those properties generate. The good news about an REIT is that you can include this in most 401, IRA or other tax-advantaged retirement accounts. These are share-based products that can fit in any standard investment portfolio.
Buying a home means literally that. Youll purchase residential real estate, hold it and then sell it years later. If you live there as your primary residence, you can get huge tax advantages when it comes time to sell. Otherwise, if you just hold the property as an investment asset, you will pay taxes on the property as ordinary capital gains.
Invest Enough To Achieve Your Goals
If you are already going to achieve your goals with the investments that you currently own, why invest more?
Investing always carries some risk, so why expose yourself to greater risk if its not going to have a positive impact on your life?
Some people will argue that its prudent to ensure that your moneys working hard for you.
Other people are driven to continue to invest so that can leave more money to their beneficiaries.
I dont think theres a right or wrong answer to the question of how much is enough?
It really depends on your circumstances and risk tolerance.
However, it is worth considering a few things.
Firstly, whether its necessary to invest more to achieve your goals.
If not, are there any other reasons to invest more e.g., to provide more for beneficiaries?
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What Are The Pros Of Property Investment
When it comes to picking an investment most likely to grow over the years, property has long been seen as a good choice. The UK property market has been famously bullish, despite the occasion slump typically lasting a few years. And as property values have continued to soar over recent decades, some investors have indeed capitalised on the trend of building property portfolios worth hundreds of thousands of pounds.
In addition, the demand for buy-to-let properties remains high and, because demand outstrips supply, property investment can offer a huge opportunity. Along with rental income, the potential increase in value of the property over time can deliver a sizeable profit when you come to sell.
The combination of rental yields and capital growth means you have both immediate income and the potential for long-term profit. You also have the option to sell the property at any point and invest the money in other ways. Those are the main advantages of this kind of investment though property isnt without its drawbacks too.
Tips For Choosing The Right Property
Investing in the right property, in the right location with the right mortgage is essential for a high rental return. If any of these factors arent spot on, your investment is unlikely to give you the financial results youre after.
Choosing the right location is often the most important thing when it comes to investment growth. For example, Liverpool remains a clear contender for best place to invest in property in 2021. With an average property price of £186,527, the average rental yield is 5.3% with a price growth in five years of 8.4%. Other high rental yield locations include Bradford, Sunderland and Middlesbrough.
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Getting The Balance Right
Investing is all about balance. Ideally, you want to have a diverse set of assets that can help smooth out the economic bumps in the road. Many people approaching retirement will have a family home, a super balance, and perhaps a share portfolio of some sort.
An investment property can help to further diversify your assets, and comes with a number of potential benefits including:
- A regular source of income. Rental income can provide you with a monthly top-up to your super / Age Pension.
- Tax incentives. Depreciation can help offset some of the costs involved in an investment property.
- Potential property value gains: Australias property prices have increased dramatically over the past decade.
