The economic impact of COVID-19 has been felt around the world. And, unfortunately for many pre-retirees, it could potentially impact your Social Security benefits as well. A new 2021 report indicates that the Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance (OASDI) trust fund that provides additional capital for funding Social Security benefits when there is a shortfall from taxation will be depleted in 2033, which suggests that Social Security benefits could be cut to 78 percent of promised benefits by 2034 if Congress takes no action to address funding.¹ While Social Security long-term funding has been a concern for awhile now, it appears that a snowball effect caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has shortened the timeline. COVID-19 served as the catalyst for an economic recession in early 2020, with a plunge in employment rates - meaning a drop in payroll taxes as well.

In December 2020, the average monthly benefit for a retired individual receiving Social Security was $1,544.² Even with benefits at full funding, you may not be able to meet your financial needs in retirement on Social Security alone. For those who have the opportunity to plan and prepare, Social Security doesn't have to be their only source of retirement income. There are a few options to consider when preparing to supplement the difference between what you earn in Social Security benefits and what you need to thrive in retirement.

There are two types of Individual Retirement Accounts, or IRAs, to choose from - traditional IRAs and Roth IRAs. If you’ve had these accounts set up for some time and made contributions regularly, then the potential growth of these accounts could make up for Social Security reductions. However, there are a few things about your IRAs to consider toward retirement.

Contributions you make to a traditional IRA may be fully or partially deductible, depending on your individual circumstances. In most cases, once you reach age 72 you must begin taking required minimum distributions from your IRA. Withdrawals from traditional IRAs are taxed as ordinary income and, if taken before age 59 1/2, may be subject to a 10 percent federal income tax penalty.³ You may continue to contribute to a traditional IRA past age 70 1/2 as long as you meet the earned-income requirement.⁴

Roth IRAs differ from traditional IRAs because contributions are made with after-tax dollars. This means that Roth IRA contributions do not lower your yearly taxable income, but withdrawals made in retirement are tax-free.

To qualify for the tax-free and penalty-free withdrawal of earnings, Roth IRA distributions must meet a five-year holding requirement and occur after age 59 1/2. Tax-free and penalty-free withdrawals also can be taken under certain other circumstances, such as a result of the owner’s death. The original Roth IRA owner is not required to take minimum annual withdrawals. Lastly, high-income taxpayers may have a lower contribution cap, or cannot contribute to a Roth IRA at all, depending on their yearly income and tax-filing status.⁵

If your employer offers a defined contribution plan, such as a 401(k), 403(b) or 457 plan, the accumulated income in these accounts could supplement Social Security, especially if this amount has had time to grow.

Be aware that distributions from a defined contribution plan are taxed as ordinary income unless they are Roth 401(k) or 403(b) accounts. Individuals are required to take minimum distributions at age 72, and any distributions before age 59 1/2 are subject to a 10 percent tax penalty.

Though not as common as they used to be, pensions are a common type of defined benefit plan. Benefits established by an employer take into account work history and salary to determine benefits.

Unfortunately for some retirees and pre-retirees, if Social Security does not help make ends meet, and the above options are not available or don’t provide enough benefits, then it may be time to consider postponing your retirement. The good news though, is that working while collecting Social Security could potentially increase your benefit amount.⁶

Having multiple sources of income in retirement is important. But if Social Security is your primary source of income, then a reduction in benefits will certainly be challenging. Using the list above, one can consider their options to prepare appropriately. To consult a financial advisor for more guidance and to receive an approach tailored to your financial situation...

Myths about working with a financial advisor abound, maybe you've even heard a few:

• "I don't need one"

• "They're for the wealthy"

• "There are lots of hidden fees"

The truth is that financial education around saving and investing money is for everyone. Even though everyone has different perceptions and expectations about a financial advisor’s purpose, the goal remains the same: getting your money to work for you.

The sooner you start, the better. Developing good financial habits now, helps to prevent major catastrophes later. Here are some myths about working with a financial planner and financial advisor that you may have heard or even thought yourself.

Your wealth isn't simply just the sum of the money you have in your checking account. When evaluating wealth, all of your assets are taken into consideration, and a better term to use is net worth.

The reality is, you can’t afford to be without one. A financial planner or advisor helps manage your finances, including student loans, credit cards, retirement savings or real estate investments, and works to put on a path to achieving goals, even those you haven't thought of or considered yet, and living comfortably during your retirement.

They don’t. They put you in a better position for making good financial decisions for short- and long-term planning. There is never a guarantee, and if anyone is telling you they'll get you something for sure, run as fast as you can.

Not true, although market predictions exist, no one knows for sure. Advisors can get you closer to your goal, but you need to understand the risks and measurements of time required.

Ask for complete details on all-in fees for each consultation or transaction. This is your money, your future — don’t be shy about it. Choose wisely and ask questions about the forms of payment. Strateon Intelligent Wealth, as a fee-only financial planning firm and registered investment advisor, has a very simple and transparent fee structure. Strateon Intelligent Wealth also focuses on providing lower cost investments for clients and any additional fees or expense ratios of any investments are always communicated to clients.

Everyone at some point needs professional help. There’s more to financial planning than making a deposit. It’s about knowing how to manage the funds for growth. Strateon Intelligent Wealth's focus is to help you achieve your goals as efficiently as possible while keeping costs to a minimum. You don't want all your positive returns to be eaten away by excessive fees in your accounts or high expenses ratios of your investments.

Not always true, a successful advisor succeeds when you reach your goal. Their goal is to educate you on the market choices and how to avoid a financial crisis. Strateon Intelligent Wealth exists to help people achieve their goals and have a prosperous future without worrying about money.

This is far from the truth, since most Americans hold assets that continue to outperform the stock market. Your home’s equity, retirement, or savings combined may exceed the average bank balance.

Individual planning is unique to your lifestyle and your situation could have complications. Good advice is not free.

Most of the time, accumulating wealth takes a long time and a lot of work. Working with a long-term financial planner provides a better chance of succeeding with a financially-planned future.

It’s never too late to manage finances, but it helps to start early. The earlier you start saving and investing, the less money you need to save and invest each year to achieve your future goals and accumulate enough wealth to live comfortably in retirement. The longer you wait, the more difficult it will be to achieve your goals.

Not necessarily. Focus on the things you can control and keep an eye on the long-term strategy. Strateon Intelligent Wealth focuses on long-term strategies so that if there is a downturn in the market, you'll have time for recovery.

True financial planning is about developing and building a comfortable long-term financial plan and involves a realistic investment goal. That's what Strateon Intelligent Wealth is all about.

Talk with an advisor and be honest about the budget. There may be a plan to get you started. Strateon Intelligent Wealth has no investment asset minimums and has multiple service tiers to fit different needs. Clients can even change service tiers as their needs change. If you have limited assets and a limited budget for financial planning, you can start with the Starter tier. As your assets grow and your needs change, you can move to higher tiers with more service offerings to help you achieve even greater goals.

Wrong. The key to building a secure future includes budgeting and learning. It involves using different money tools like insurance policies and estate planning, as well as making changes to different aspects of your finances and even your life as your situation and needs change, and your situation and needs will change.

Without financial planning, social security and 401(k) balances may not keep up with the cost of living. The future of Social Security is uncertain, as it's predicted to run out of funding by 2034 at the latest unless Congress steps in to make drastic changes. The drastic changes could range from increasing the full retirement age, changing eligibility, increasing taxes, and/or decreasing how much Social Security will pay in benefits.

Thinking about the future can sometimes be scary, but proper financial planning is about managing circumstances and preparing for life’s transition. Strateon Intelligent Wealth develops comprehensive financial plans that are continuously monitored and updated to adjust for changes in clients lives and with the markets to better ensure that clients can achieve their goals and live a prosperous future.

If your financial planner or advisor doesn’t keep you in the loop, it’s time to change. You need to understand the whole picture, complete with details of what works or why it doesn’t. You need a financial planner or advisor that monitors not just your investment accounts, but your entire plan, so that you know when your on the right track for success and when your sliding off the path and need to adjust to get back on the road to achieving your goals.

Financial planning isn't just about investments. It's about making your finances more efficient so that your money is working for you, so that you're living more comfortably, and so that you have more cash to achieve your goals and enjoy living your life. You can learn to spend less and smarter to accomplish your future goals. With Strateon Intelligent Wealth, regular review meetings are an important part of the financial planning process so that your plan can be adjusted as needed.

It's important that you take part in managing your current finances and planning your future.Financial planning is a collaborative process.

Long-term planning and good financial decisions with the help of a professional financial planner is a managed future. Understanding the basics of the financial advice will help to avoid overwhelming mistakes brought on by these myths.