Baby Boomers nearing retirement face a stark reality when it comes to leaving the workforce. Almost 20 million working Americans between ages 55 and 64 have no money in 401(k) retirement accounts and do not have a pension. Will they be able to pay their bills and maintain their standard of living on just Social Security?
These near-retirees face little time to reap the benefit of compound interest to help grow their nest eggs at a time when interest rates are at an all-time low. With these factors working against them, financial advisors often suggest that pre-retirees keep working and avoid drawing on Social Security until their full retirement age or later.
Last year, the full retirement age started to move up, making retiring early more costly. For those born in 1956, the age at which Americans can receive full Social Security benefits is age 66 and four months. This full retirement age will continue to increase until 2022 when it reaches age 67.
