Mar 30: Best from the blogosphere

March 30, 2020

Is Freedom 55 changing to Freedom 70?

Younger people are, for the most part, saving away merrily for retirement. But new research from Mercer, reported on by Benefits Canada, suggests the younger set may be going about things too conservatively.

That, in turn, could force them to keep working until age 70, the article explains.

Why?

“The report found millennials often opt to invest conservatively in low-risk, short-term investments such as money market funds. Using this strategy means many younger workers may not be able to retire until they’re 70,” the magazine reports.

(Save with SPP will remark that at the time of writing, with stock markets making thousand-point daily swings, “low-risk” investments are sounding pretty good.)

However, Benefits Canada reminds us, it’s not short-term results that matter with retirement savings – it’s a long haul from being a perky young person to a grey-haired gold watch recipient. Your rate of return over the long-term, not the short-term, is what really matters.

A more balanced approach, the magazine reports – citing the Mercer findings – such as “a healthy mix of equities and bonds” could allow our millennial friends to log off for the last time as early as age 67.

Equities carry risk, the article notes, but millennials need to aim for a long-term rate of return of six per cent or better to reach retirement savings targets. “A savings rate that’s any lower than six per cent total annual combined employer and employee contributions means retirement may not be possible at all,” Benefits Canada warns.

Other retirement-limiting factors for millennials include debt, paying off student loans, and entering the expensive housing market,” the magazine notes. “Those factors make age 65 retirement very unlikely for most millennials.

It’s a similar story for the slightly older Gen X group, the article reports. Those age 45 should be trying to ensure that they contribute 17 per cent of their gross earnings (this includes their own contributions plus any employer match) towards retirement savings, the article adds.

Even boomers, who generally had better access to workplace pension plans, are going to find it hard to leave work by age 65, Benefits Canada tells us. “One factor delaying retirement age for boomers is the shift from DB to defined contribution plans, requiring a mindset shift many aren’t making, said the report. Also, employers offering less conservative investment vehicles, such as target-date funds, didn’t become commonplace until 2010, which likely proved too late for some boomers,” the article explains.

Do you see the common thread here? Those who save early in a balanced savings vehicle have a better chance of hitting their retirement goals. Those starting in their 40s need to chip in much more, and once you are 60 plus you better hope you have a pension plan at work, because your savings runway is running out of pavement.

It sounds daunting, for sure. But if you are looking for a balanced approach to saving for retirement, the Saskatchewan Pension Plan offers the Balanced Fund, which has averaged an impressive eight per cent rate of return since its inception in the 1980s. With SPP, you decide how much to contribute – you can start small when you’re young, and ramp it up as you get older. Fees are low, and the level of expertise by SPP’s investors high. Be sure to check out SPP today.

Written by Martin Biefer
	Martin Biefer is Senior Pension Writer at Avery & Kerr Communications in Nepean, Ontario. A veteran reporter, editor and pension communicator, he’s now a freelancer. Interests include golf, line dancing, classic rock, and darts. You can follow him on Twitter – his handle is @AveryKerr22

Benefits Canada

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