Eight Mistakes That Can Upend Your Retirement

It's hard enough to save for retirement without making some typical but easily avoidable blunders along the way. If at all possible, try to avoid these eight common pitfalls.

1. The worst option would be to take no action, which would imply a lack of a plan. It will be tough to tell whether you have reached your goal or achieved anything at all if you do not have a plan. You can increase your chances of enjoying a good financial status throughout and after your retirement years by putting in the effort now.
2. Constant purchasing and selling transactions: The constant pursuit of "hot" investments almost always ends in financial disaster. Create a plan for asset allocation that takes into account your goals, risk tolerance, and time horizon for making investments; make sure to alter your plan in response to life events rather than market fluctuations. 1
3. Inadequate use of tax-deferred accounts. Workers have numerous options for saving for retirement without incurring additional tax penalties. If your workplace provides a 401(k) plan and matches your contributions, for example, and you opt not to enroll, you may be missing out on free money. 2
4. Contributing to your children's higher education fees may not have to come at the expense of your own retirement resources. Remember that you may be eligible for financial aid for your academic endeavors but not for your retirement years.
5. Failure to account for the cost of long-term care can have a devastating impact on the funds you have set up for retirement.
6. Failure to make necessary changes to your investment strategy before retiring: The last thing your retirement fund can afford right before you retire is a steep drop in stock prices and an extended period of bear market conditions. Before you start spending your money, you should probably rethink your asset allocation so you don't have to sell stocks while the market is down. 3
7. If debt is a problem while you're working, consider how much worse it will be when you're no longer earning money. Before you call it quits, you should certainly take care of your financial obligations.
8. However, money is not everything. The single most important thing you can do to ensure a happy retirement is to take care of your health. Maintaining healthy social interactions, exercising regularly, eating healthily, and keeping your intellect as sharp as possible are all part of this.