In today's corporate environment, cost cutting, restructuring, and downsizing are the norm, and many employers are offering their employees early retirement packages. But how do you know if the seemingly attractive offer you've received is a good one? By evaluating it carefully to make sure that the offer fits your needs.
What's in the severance package?
Most early retirement offers include a severance package that is based on your annual salary and years of service at the company. For example, your employer might offer you one- or two-weeks’ salary (or even a month's salary) for each year of service. Make sure that the severance package will be enough for you to make the transition to the next phase of your life.
Also, make sure that you understand the payout options available to you. You may be able to take a lump-sum severance payment and then invest the money to provide income or use it to meet large expenses. Or you may be able to take deferred payments over several years to spread out your income tax bill on the money.
Will you have to leave company 401(k) plan contributions on the table?
If you’re not fully vested in your company’s 401(k) plan, speak with your human resources department to ask about the details of vesting and early retirement. If there are provisions, they should be specified in the plan document and adoption agreement.
What about your pension?
If your employer has a traditional pension plan, the retirement benefits you receive from the plan are based on your age, years of service, and annual salary. You typically must work until your company's normal retirement age (usually 65) to receive the maximum benefits. This means that you may receive smaller benefits if you accept an offer to retire early. The difference between this reduced pension and a full pension could be large, because pension benefits typically accrue faster as you near retirement. However, your employer may provide you with larger pension benefits until you can start collecting Social Security at age 62. Or your employer might boost your pension benefits by adding years to your age, length of service, or both. These types of pension sweeteners are key features to look for in your employer's offer — especially if a reduced pension won't give you enough income.
Does the offer include health insurance?
Does your employer's early retirement offer include medical coverage for you and your family? If not, look at your other health insurance options, such as COBRA, a private policy, dependent coverage through your spouse's employer-sponsored plan, or an individual health insurance policy through either a state-based or federal health insurance Exchange Marketplace.
Because your health-care costs will probably increase as you age, an offer with no medical coverage may not be worth taking if these other options are unavailable or too expensive. Even if the offer does include medical coverage, make sure that you understand and evaluate the coverage. Will you be covered for life, or at least until you're eligible for Medicare? Is the coverage adequate and affordable (some employers may cut benefits or raise premiums for early retirees)? If your employer's coverage doesn't meet your health insurance needs, you may be able to fill the gaps with other insurance.
What other benefits are available?
A good early retirement offer may include other perks. Your employer may provide you and other early retirees with financial planning assistance. This can come in handy if you feel overwhelmed by all of the financial issues that early retirement brings. Your employer may also offer job placement assistance to help you find other employment. If you have company stock options, your employer may give you more time to exercise them. Other benefits, such as educational assistance, may also be available. Check with your employer to find out exactly what its offer includes.
Can you afford to retire early?
To decide if you should accept an early retirement offer, you can't just look at the offer itself. You have to consider your total financial picture. Can you afford to retire early? Even if you can, will you still be able to reach all of your retirement goals? These are tough questions that a qualified financial advisor should help you sort out, but you can take some basic steps yourself.
Identify your sources of retirement income and the yearly amount you can expect from each source. Then, estimate your annual retirement expenses (don't forget taxes and inflation) and make sure your income will be more than enough to meet them. You may find that you can accept your employer's offer and probably still have the retirement lifestyle you want. But remember, these are only estimates. Build in a comfortable cushion in case your expenses increase, your income drops, or you live longer than expected.
If you don't think you can afford early retirement, it may be better not to accept your employer's offer. The longer you stay in the workforce, the shorter your retirement will be and the less money you'll need to fund it. Working longer may also allow you to build larger savings in your IRAs, retirement plans, and investments. And it’s possible that your employer may eventually offer another early retirement package that’s better than the first.
On the other hand, if you refuse early retirement, you might find that your role changes to something that doesn’t offer the same responsibilities or professional development opportunities. In the worse-case scenario, your position could be eliminated with no early retirement offer at all.
Consult with a professional
Evaluating an early retirement offer can be an extremely confusing and stressful experience. A qualified financial advisor working with your accountant can help you weigh the potential pros and cons of the offer—and provide guidance on what you may need to prepare for if you accept it or turn it down.
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Eric Kristenson is a financial advisor and retirement plan advisor located at Canby Financial Advisors, 161 Worcester Road, Framingham, MA 01701. He offers securities and advisory services as an Investment Adviser Representative of Commonwealth Financial Network®, Member FINRA/SIPC, a Registered Investment Adviser. He can be reached at 508.598.1082 or ekristenson@canbyfinancial.com
Prepared by Broadridge Investor Communication Solutions, Inc. Copyright 2021. Broadridge Investor Communication Solutions, Inc. does not provide investment, tax, legal, or retirement advice or recommendations. The information presented here is not specific to any individual's personal circumstances.