Burmeister says that having hard numbers when discussing health-care costs will also dissuade some investors from retiring early, since they may lose employer-sponsored health-care coverage. Early retirement could force them to purchase full health-care insurance outright at a significantly steeper premium.
“Great if you can [retire early], but you aren’t eligible for Medicare until age 65,” he said.
Solomon, who manages $250 million, said if he sees the clients’ habits and decisions coming early enough, he can help them.
Recently, he began working with a retired couple whose daughter passed away from brain cancer. They wanted to begin pulling money out of their retirement accounts to fund their grandkids’ college funds and activities and to help their son-in-law cover household expenses.
“I said: Whoa! Do you realize the impact this will have on your own retirement? Do a homework assignment and tell me what you think this will cost you every year,’” Solomon told them.
The couple’s reaction when they realized the impact of pulling $20,000 to $30,000 out of their retirement accounts annually was: “Oh my God, how am I going to do this?” Solomon said.
“We immediately started having conversations about financial compromise, and in some cases kicking in time versus money. The benefit I brought to them was to have them realize there would be real consequences to their spending in retirement,” Solomon said.