The Charles Schwab Guide To Finances After Fifty (2024)

There’s no doubt that not having any debt can give you a certain sense of freedom. When you don’t owe anything to anybody, the money you have is yours to do with as you wish—a great retirement dream scenario. But as we all know from experience, reality can be a bit different.

In an ideal world, none of us would have any debt—ever. And we’d certainly pay off our mortgages, credit cards, and car loans before we retire. But that’s not always possible. And sometimes, it’s not even the best thing to do. As I discussed a bit in My Top Ten Recommendations on page 3, debt isn’t necessarily negative. In fact, in the financial world there’s a common distinction made between “good debt” and “bad debt.” But you have to know the difference. And to keep debt from ruining your plans, you also have to figure out how much debt you can comfortably handle on your retirement income. Here are some ways to go about it.

Put Your Debt in Perspective

Debt that creates opportunities can actually work for you. If it’s also low cost and has tax advantages, so much the better. For instance, with mortgages or home equity lines of credit, you’re borrowing to own a potentially appreciating asset. On top of that, home loans may be tax-deductible. So they fall into the category of good debt.

On the other hand, there’s nothing positive about debt that’s high cost, isn’t tax-deductible, and is taken to buy an asset that will likely depreciate. Things like credit card debt and car loans fall into the “bad debt” category. The image of taking on high monthly payments for a new car that decreases in value the minute you drive it off the lot is probably one of the clearest examples of debt that works against you.

What should you do? If the ideal scenario of being debt-free is out of reach, your practical goal should be to pay down any bad debt while keeping the good debt working for you.

Fact: The average debt held by families headed by individuals 55 and older stood at $75,082 in 2010, up more than $1,300 from 2007, according to Federal Reserve data crunched by the Employee Benefit Research Institute.

Prioritize Your Payments

Don’t try to tackle all your debt at once. You’ll likely just become frustrated and discouraged. Instead, prioritize.

If you have credit card debt, that’s your first priority. Make a list of your credit cards and balances, from the highest-interest card to the lowest. Focus on highest-interest debt first, increasing the payment if you can, while continuing to at least make minimum payments on the rest. Work your way down until everything is paid off. And give yourself a pat on the back as you eliminate one debt after another.

Another way to approach multiple credit card debts is to consolidate them on a low-interest card and pay the maximum that you can afford each month. But be very wary of loan consolidation offers. While some are legitimate, others have up-front fees and hidden costs.

Caution: Once you’ve finally paid off your credit card debt, keep your guard up! It’s way too easy to fall back into bad habits and run up your balances again.

And Finally, Assess Your Mortgage

For most of us, our mortgage is probably our largest debt. And eliminating your monthly mortgage payment before you retire is a worthy goal. But deciding whether to pay off your mortgage is more difficult because there can be a psychological as well as a financial aspect to your decision.

The financial side is pretty straightforward. First, what’s the interest rate? Is it adjustable or fixed? Next, factor in tax deductibility.

Example: Let’s say that you have a 5% fixed loan and your combined federal/state income tax bracket is 30%. Assuming your mortgage interest is fully tax-deductible, your mortgage is really costing you only 3.5%. On the one hand, paying it off is equivalent to a risk-free 3.5% return on an investment. If you’re happy with that return, pay off the mortgage. If you think that you can earn more from another investment, then it probably makes sense to keep it.

Note: As you reach the end of your mortgage term, you’re paying less interest and more principal. Only the interest portion is tax-deductible.

Smart Move: If you have a high interest rate mortgage or an adjustable mortgage, think about refinancing to a lower, fixed rate. You might also consider a shorter term (say fifteen years), which will carry a lower interest rate.

On the psychological side, you need to weigh the value of having more money in the bank (or in your portfolio) versus being mortgage-free. Only you know which will ultimately give you more peace of mind. It could also be a matter of proportion. For example, if you have a $250,000 portfolio and a $100,000 mortgage, it’s probably not prudent to deplete your assets by 40 percent to pay it off. But if you have $1 million in assets, paying off a $100,000 mortgage is more reasonable.

Finally, you can always decide to split the difference—pay off half your mortgage and refinance the rest. It all depends on what you can handle on your retirement income and what makes you feel the most secure.

Smart Move: One way to pay down your mortgage more quickly is to make additional annual payments. Even one extra payment a year can cut significant dollars off your debt and time off your mortgage.

Smart Move: If you own your home and don’t already have a home equity line of credit (HELOC), consider opening one now. You’re much less likely to qualify when you don’t have a regular income, and it can be a great backup in case of an emergency. Plus, you can deduct the interest on up to $100,000 of home equity debt used for any purpose. So it could also be a tax-deductible way to consolidate your higher interest loans.

Part II: Getting Closer: Transitioning into Retirement, Question 13

Additional excerpts

• I just retired. What’s the smartest way to draw income from my portfolio?
• How can I save for my kids’ college without derailing my retirement?
• Does it make sense to borrow from my 401(k) if I need cash?
• When should I file for Social Security benefits?
• My husband has no interest in our finances. How can I get him involved?
• I’m confused about how to divide my estate between my children, who have different needs and financial resources. Is it best to divide it into equal parts?
• My 20-something child has decided that she wants to move back home. I like my new empty-nest lifestyle, but I want to help her out. How can I balance these?

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