I told you so…

For years I have been harping on these three issues. They are pretty basic, pretty obvious and yet …

Among retirees, 62% would change the way they planned for retirement if they could go back in time, according to a special report from Lincoln Financial Group’s consumer sentiment research.

Most commonly, retirees wish they had started saving earlier (74%) and saved more (63%) for retirement. This was followed by choosing investments that provide a steady stream of income (36%) and paying off debts sooner (34%). Respondents also wished they had planned for increasing costs due to inflation (25%) and that they worked longer (21%).

Fewer than one in three retirees (30%) were very confident about making the right decision on how to manage their money in retirement. Additionally, just 27% said they felt certain they have enough money to last throughout their entire life in retirement, and 23% said they were sure they could maintain the lifestyle they wanted in retirement.

Planadvisor.com

Saving early let’s the power of compounding work and makes the job easier. A steady income stream eases financial stress in retirement. Dealing with inflation is necessary.

None of this is especially difficult and it is all relative to income level and so often ignored.