How to Determine Required Savings

Questions:

I purchased RetireWare to derive an accurate number for annual savings for my wife and I given a set of retirement goals and lifestyle requirements.

I have an account set up under the email above but feel that something isn't quite right with the calculations after playing around with the numbers.

Here are my questions:

1. My wife is currently not working as our kids are young. She plans on starting to earn income again next fall. That income will likely increase again once our 2yr old son goes to school full time in 3 more years. I can't seem to figure out a way to incorporate that graduated income for my wife into the calculations. Can I do that in RetireWare?

2. Our plan was to have an "active" retirement until I hit 75 and my wife hits 65 (ie. 15yrs into our retirement as currently planned in RetireWare) and then switch to a less active retirement. How do I account for a graduated level of retirement expense in RetireWare?

3. It seems that the "Principal Residence" under Financial Information is being double counted for my wife and I. I entered the "Current Market Value" of our house under my wife's profile *and* my profile. Should I be entering it once to avoid double counting it?

Answers:

1. You could add the income under 'Other Income' and can enter up to four periods, but this type is for after retirement and does not allow for saving for retirement. Instead you can enter the average income she'll earn between now and retirement, considering $0 for a coupe of years, a part-time wage after and full-time when the kids are in school full-time.

2. On the Forecast page under 'Retirement income target', there is a section called 'Advanced'. There you can apply reductions or increases to your retirement icnome goal for up to three periods during retirement.

3. Yes you should enter under one spouse or enter 50% of the value under both.

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Written by RetireWare / Equisoft