July - August 2005

Ready or Not! – Tools and Information for Retirement

Thinking of retiring someday? It’s never too early to plan for how you’ll spend your time and money once that time comes, and the 2005 edition of Ready or Not! A Handbook for Retirment can guide you through that process.

There’s No Time Like the Present to Plan for Retirement

If you participate in IPF and/or a Local pension fund you’re already on your way to building a secure retirement. A pension, along with Social Security and other savings through a 401(k), annuity or traditional savings account, can enable you to maintain a comfortable lifestyle in retirement. Ready or Not! contains tips to help you determine today if you’ll have enough money to live on in retirement and offers strategies for saving.

It’s Not Just About Money

Financial security is important, but any current retiree will tell you that when you retire there are housing, health, and leisure issues that can significantly impact your golden years. Just as you need to undertake financial planning, you should be considering the following:

Is my present house suitable for retirement living? Or can it be remodeled to fit my needs in retirement?
Will the cost of taxes and insurance be in my budget?
Can my house be converted to a two-family house to rent? Or are there zoning restrictions?
Do I want to live near friends or family?
How will I spend my time in retirement? Which community activities are of interest to me?
Do I want to keep working after retirement?

You Are Not Alone

Retirement is a new stage in life, but there are many resources available to help you sort through the good times and the challenges that come with age. Ready or Not! provides a list of key resources, how they can help, and contact information.

If your age 57 or older and still actively working, you should have received a copy in the mail. If you don’t fall into this category, but would like to receive a copy, call or write to:

Board of Trustees
International Pension Fund
c/o David F. Stupar
Executive Director
1776 Eye Street, NW
Suite 750
Washington, DC 20006
1-888-880-8BAC
dstupar@ipfweb.org

How Prepared Are You?

1. You have all of your vital financial papers in one place, have told someone else where they are, and made copies of them.

Yes_____

No_____

2. You have figured out what your expenses will be in retirement (keeping inflation in mind), and identified your financial assets and projected their growth between now and retirement.

Yes_____

No_____

3. You have figured out what survivor benefits you or your spouse would receive if either one of you died.

Yes_____

No_____

4. You have obtained investment and savings information, and planned for improving your savings.

Yes_____

No_____

If you checked any No’s then Ready or Not! may be able to help.