- Inflation significantly erodes future purchasing power of savings.
- Lifestyle and healthcare costs increase significantly after retirement.
- Retirement fund should be 25 times current monthly expenses.
You must have wondered how you will spend your time after retirement. It is a well-recognised fact that having enough money to live with dignity after retirement is the most important thing. At the same time, most people think that Rs 1 crore is a large amount, but they forget to ask whether Rs 1 crore will actually be enough to get them through old age. Rising inflation and rapidly changing lifestyles mean that the reality today is very different from what it used to be.
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Inflation will hit harder than you think
Most people forget that the value of Rs 1 crore today will not remain the same in the future. If the inflation rate stays at 6 per cent per year, what costs Rs 50,000 today will cost around Rs 1.6 lakh after 10 years. In other words, rising inflation can make life genuinely difficult. Always keep in mind that something you buy for Rs 100 today may cost double that amount in the years ahead.
Keep an eye on lifestyle and healthcare costs
After retiring, your regular income stops completely, but your expenses do not. On top of that, medical and healthcare costs can nearly double as you grow older. If you do not have any kind of health insurance, a serious illness can wipe out a large part of the savings you have built up over the years.
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How much should your retirement fund be?
Financial experts say you should start building a fund equal to at least 25 times your current monthly expenses as soon as possible. Rs 1 crore can be a good starting point, but it may not be enough to sustain a comfortable retirement. For retirement planning, experts recommend investing without delay in SWP (Systematic Withdrawal Plan), equity mutual funds, and safe instruments such as PPF (Public Provident Fund) or SCSS (Senior Citizens’ Savings Scheme). The earlier you start investing, the larger the fund you will be able to build.
