I’m 66, we have more than $2 million, I just want to golf – can I retire?

I presently have about $1.6 million in retirement accounts. My spouse (60 years outdated) has about $600,000 in varied common and retirement accounts. We’ve a 16-year-old daughter at dwelling attending highschool and school in a twin enrollment program. If she stays with this system she’ll have her bachelors at 19. Whereas in highschool she takes school lessons and we pay no tuition whereas she’s in highschool. 

Our month-to-month bills are about $9,000-10,000 monthly together with medical health insurance for my spouse and daughter. We personal our modest single-family dwelling with no mortgage. Taxes and insurance coverage are presently about $6,000 per yr. We presently haven’t any debt, except for an American Categorical and Visa that we repay each month.

I’m on Medicare. I get walloped for a double premium for half “B” as a result of I’m thought of a high-wage earner. The 2 of us are in cheap/regular well being for a few outdated farts.

I need to throw within the towel on Could 5 and play extra golf. Can we do it?

See: We’re in our 60s and have lost $250,000 in our 401(k) plans — can we still retire?  

Expensive reader, 

Congratulations on saving a lot to your retirement. That’s an exquisite accomplishment alone!

As a result of I don’t have all your financials in entrance of me, nor am I a monetary planner constructing a complete plan to your retirement, I can’t say for sure when you can retire. Nevertheless, it does clearly sound such as you’re doing effectively and that you simply’ve been planning. As a substitute of telling you to go for it or not, I’m going to supply a number of issues to contemplate earlier than you choose up your mid irons. 

Greater than $2 million (you and your spouse’s financial savings mixed) is some huge cash — I’m not suggesting in any other case — however in terms of retirement, it doesn’t imply you’re robotically good to go when you hit the million-dollar mark. There are such a lot of components, a few of which you talked about like healthcare and debt, in addition to saving and spending. 

I harp on spending evaluation lots however to me, it’s so essential when deciding if and find out how to retire. Why? As a result of that is one thing that, for probably the most half, you may management. That’s a reasonably highly effective feeling. 

So my first suggestion: Evaluate these AMEX and Visa statements, in addition to cash that comes out of any checking accounts, and just be sure you’re spending the way in which you need and must spend. While you retire, you gained’t have that part-time revenue anymore, and whilst you could also be itching to get on the inexperienced, you’ll even be stressing out when you don’t have sufficient inexperienced in a decade or two. You’ve informed me what your Social Safety advantages will likely be and what your common month-to-month spending is, however I might counsel actually poring over your spending and assessing how snug you’ll be when you proceed to spend that manner while you retire. 

Try MarketWatch’s column “Retirement Hacks” for actionable items of recommendation to your personal retirement financial savings journey 

There’s a second half to that evaluation, which is how a lot cash you plan to withdraw out of your retirement accounts. I’m undecided in case your spouse remains to be working, however regardless, the more cash you’re taking out of these accounts each month, the much less there’s out there to develop over time. Taxes additionally play an element right here, relying on when you’re withdrawing from a conventional or Roth-style account. These taxes may take a bigger chunk out of your spending cash, in addition to doubtlessly provide you with a heftier tax invoice come tax time. 

Take into consideration this when your daughter goes off to school, too. She might not be there lengthy if she continues along with her hybrid highschool and school programs (which is great, by the way in which), however do you propose to pay for her tuition, and in that case, the place is that cash coming from? Advisers inform me on a regular basis: you may take a mortgage for faculty, however you may’t take one for retirement. It could be useful to have a separate financial savings account earmarked for schooling, when you don’t have already got a type of or some kind of school financial savings account like a 529 plan, so that you simply’re not draining your retirement account for a tuition invoice. 

One final bit about that — plan for the surprising. What’s going to you do if a significant expense arises? Will that cash additionally come from a retirement account, or do you may have an emergency account put aside to cowl it? Saving some huge cash for retirement is superb, nevertheless it’s not the one process people must handle… arising with a Plan B, and possibly even a Plan C and Plan D, is critical too. 

Additionally see: Are you planning for retirement all wrong? 

Subsequent, earlier than retiring, examine the way in which your cash is invested. What’s your asset allocation like, and does it want to vary? Don’t make alterations simply to make them — and undoubtedly don’t make them simply since you learn the markets weren’t doing so scorching that day — however consider this cash does must develop for many years to assist you and your spouse, so you have to to strike that steadiness. Reaching out to a certified monetary skilled, corresponding to a licensed monetary planner, may also help you make sense of what the perfect funding combine is, however at least, log in to your account or name up the agency the place your accounts are situated and examine that asset allocation. 

Additionally, you talked about you’re already on Medicare. I might counsel taking the time now — effectively earlier than open enrollment — to assessment your present and anticipated future well being bills, after which assess how useful your present protection is for you. I do know you talked about you and your spouse are in cheap well being, but when there are any operations or companies you assume you might want subsequent yr, it’s higher to begin reviewing what plans present you the perfect protection to your state of affairs so that you simply’re not paying extra out of pocket than essential. That is an train you don’t must do instantly, however it would definitely assist you really feel extra ready come the top of the yr when it’s time to maintain your present plan or change for one thing else. 

As an apart, you’ll finally pay much less in Medicare Half B premiums when your modified adjusted gross revenue declines. These premiums are primarily based in your tax returns from two years prior. 

You sound like you might be heading in the right direction, which is great. I might simply warning you to tie up a number of free ends earlier than resigning so that you could tee up with out worrying. 

Readers: Do you may have options for this reader? Add them within the feedback under.

Have a query about your individual retirement financial savings? E-mail us at HelpMeRetire@marketwatch.com