If your child is in middle school or even college, you may feel like you’re behind on their college savings. Of course, at the same time, you may also feel like you’re behind on your retirement savings. Both are big financial goals, and both are important, but there’s also only so much money available to contribute to savings. How do you balance the two goals?
Savings for college is much different than saving for retirement. There are different variables and factors involved. Below are a few things to consider.
Time Horizon
Depending on your age, your time horizon for college may be much shorter than your time horizon for retirement. You could have decades until retirement. On the other hand, if you have a child already in elementary or middle school, you may have 10 years or less until they’re ready for college.
Your time horizon should influence your saving strategy for both retirement and college savings. Don’t apply the same allocation to both goals. Rather, look at your time horizon and determine how much risk you can afford. Unless your kids are very young, you likely don’t have time in your college strategy to recover from a sizable loss, so you may want to take a more risk-averse position.
Amount
That’s a sizable amount, but it’s still not close to what you’ll need for retirement. Consider that you may live in retirement for several decades. You’ll need enough assets to cover your bills, your discretionary spending and more. Consider that Fidelity estimates the average retired couple will need $285,000 just to cover medical expenses. ²
While college is big financial goal, it’s usually not as sizable as your retirement need. Don’t delay saving for retirement. It’s too big of a goal to fund at the last minute. Even if you have to start small, it pays to start saving early.
Alternative Funding
You may not have similar options available for retirement. You’ll likely receive Social Security benefits, but those payments usually aren’t enough to fund a full retirement. You’ll likely need to rely on your savings to make up the difference. While saving for college is important, don’t let it interfere with your retirement savings.
Ready to plan your college and retirement strategies? Contact Baacke Insurance Services, Inc. for help analyzing your needs and developing a plan.
1 https://www.collegedata.com/en/pay-your-way/college-sticker-shock/how-much-does-college-cost/whats-the-price-tag-for-a-college-education/
2 https://www.fidelity.com/viewpoints/personal-finance/plan-for-rising-health-care-costs
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18786 - 2019/4/18