Beginning your retirement planning early and with a professional to help guide you is the key to making sure you have a successful retirement. However, with so many experts, advisors, and salespeople out there, it’s difficult to know how to find the right person for this important job. Zynergy Retirement Planning will break down what you need to know regarding financial planners and give you all the information you will need to make an informed decision when choosing a retirement planning professional you’d like to work within Somerset County, NJ.

When Should You Begin Retirement Planning?

Simply put, you should begin planning for retirement as soon as you can. Ideally, you’d start saving in your 20s, when you first leave school and begin earning paychecks. That’s because the sooner you begin saving, the more time your money has to grow. Each year’s gains can generate their own gains the next year – a powerful wealth-building phenomenon known as compounding. This is why it is so important to start planning for retirement early.

Visit our blog to find helpful tips and answers to your important Retirement Questions, including:

• How Much Should I Contribute To My 401k?
• How Much is Enough for my Emergency Reserve?
• What Is a Roth IRA Conversion and When Should I Consider It?
• How Do I Supplement My Income in Retirement?

Types of Retirement Planning Professionals

The next big decision is what type of Somerset County retirement planning professional to hire. Among Certified Financial Planners, the industry gold standard, there are three types of compensation models that may affect the type of experience you have:

• A Commission-Based Financial Planner receives 100% of their compensation from commission sales. Their incentive is primarily to sell you one of their products, rather than provide sound financial advice. A simple analogy would be a car salesman at a dealership, who is trying to push you towards an expensive sports car even though you have made it clear you need a family-friendly that meets your budget and safety requirements. The salesman clearly does not have your best interest at heart, and you’ll have a frustrating experience as a result.
• A Fee-Based Financial Planner earns a small fee from their clients in addition to commission sales. This is an effort to get a planner more invested in their client’s success as opposed to getting the sale, but the majority of their compensation is still based on selling products, so there is still a conflict of interest. Imagine another car salesman who points you towards the family car you are looking for, but keeps pushing expensive features you do not want or need.
• A Fee-Only Financial Planner earns 100% of their revenue from their clients. They do not receive any commissions or compensation of any kind for the financial products they recommend. There are far fewer conflicts of interest, and their only goal is their client’s success. In the case of the car dealership, this salesman shows you the car you need, helps you decide which features you need and which you do not, and tells you how you can get the best deal.

Benefits of Choosing a Fee-Only Financial Planner

A Fee-Only CFP® is not only qualified, but they also have your best interest in mind. What exactly is it that makes a fee-only financial planner a better option for most people than the other options? We have three major reasons choosing an Somerset County fee-only financial planner is in your best interest.

• Fewer conflicts of interest. A fee-only financial planner has no incentive to pitch options or promote funds that would benefit them more than it would benefit their client. While fee-based planners can provide perfectly good service to their clients, it does open up questionable relationships between clients, planners, and investment options. You can avoid any questionable intent by working with a fee-only financial planner.
• The focus is on financial advice. Fee-only financial planners are there to provide the best financial advice, and not try to sell financial products. Providing good advice on where to put your money is good for you, which will end up being good for them too. It’s a win-win situation.
• Percentage-based payment options. Most fee-only financial planners will charge a percentage of the amount of money they manage. Once again, this incentivizes a fee-only financial planner to be as efficient as possible with your money, as the returns will ultimately benefit both parties. If you make money, they make money too.

Make Sure Your Retirement Planner is a Fiduciary Financial Advisor

Choosing a fee-only financial planner for your wealth management is an excellent start, but it is essential to ensure that your financial planner is always working in your best interests. A financial planner who is a fiduciary is legally and ethically obligated to act in the best interests of their clients. They must put their clients’ needs ahead of their own when handling retirement investments, avoiding any conflicts of interest that could compromise their clients’ financial goals. It provides peace of mind and confidence in your retirement planning decisions, knowing that your financial planner is providing objective advice that is tailored to your specific needs and goals. With a fiduciary, you can trust that your retirement investments are being managed with the utmost care and diligence.

Choosing a retirement planner who also acts as a fiduciary financial advisor has a multitude of benefits. This holds particularly true when considering the unique financial landscape of Somerset County, NJ. Here’s a dive into its significance:

• Client’s Interests First: A fiduciary is legally committed to placing the client’s best interests above all else. This means clients can trust that their retirement needs and goals are the top priority.
• Minimized Conflicts: Fiduciary financial advisors have an obligation to disclose any potential conflicts, ensuring they aren’t influenced by external incentives when suggesting retirement solutions.
• Thorough Retirement Planning: These planners approach retirement with a 360-degree perspective. They consider every angle from investment decisions, potential pension benefits, Social Security strategies, to other retirement-related nuances.
• Depth of Expertise: Fiduciary financial advisors have met strict training criteria, usually passing demanding exams, and are committed to ongoing education, ensuring they offer clients the latest and most relevant retirement strategies.
• Local Insights: For those in Somerset County, NJ, a locally-based fiduciary financial advisor would likely have intimate knowledge of regional tax implications, local investment opportunities, and other pertinent financial issues, ensuring strategies that match the local financial environment.
• Trust Factor: Engaging with a fiduciary financial advisor naturally instills a sense of trust, given their ethical obligation to maintain the client’s best interests.
  Optimized Retirement Outcomes: While outcomes can’t be guaranteed, the dedication and comprehensive planning approach of a fiduciary can potentially align clients more closely with their retirement dreams.
• Legal Safety Net: If things don’t go as planned, clients might find it more straightforward to seek legal remedies when dealing with a fiduciary, owing to their promise of a higher standard of care.
• Transparent Fees: Fiduciary retirement planners are often clear about their fee structures, whether they’re flat fees, hourly rates, or based on assets managed, making it easier for clients to understand their financial commitments.

For residents of Somerset County, NJ, partnering with a fiduciary financial advisor can translate to increased confidence in the retirement journey, a potential for better-aligned retirement strategies, and the assurance of a high-caliber professional relationship. As always, it’s imperative to conduct thorough research when selecting a retirement professional to ensure their approach and expertise align with your individual retirement vision.

When Do People Normally Retire?

The truth is that retirement should be a personal decision based upon your unique desires, beliefs, and financial resources. Learning about when the average person retires is effectively useless in determining when will be the right time for you.

Although most of the people we work with retire between the ages of 62 and 70, each situation is different. The answer to when you will retire should be based on your responses to the following questions:

1. When can I afford to leave work and either semi-retire or completely retire?
2. Am I physically able to continue in my work?
3. Do I still enjoy the challenge of work?
4. What will I retire to? How will I spend my days?
5. Would I prefer to work longer and enjoy a more comfortable lifestyle in retirement or retire younger and live a simpler lifestyle?

Once you have the answers to these questions, then you can begin to build a timeline for your retirement. Remember, it’s not about when the Jones next door will retire (and whether you will be able to keep up with them), it’s about when you can or will retire based on factors ranging from physical, emotional, and financial.

Contact a Virtual Retirement Planning Professional Today

If you are living in Somerset County, NJ, and are near or in retirement, it is important to hire a Somerset County Certified Financial Planner you can trust. Zynergy Retirement offers virtual retirement services for our Somerset County, NJ clients. As a fee-only CFP® and fiduciary, we build successful, productive long-term relationships with our clients through unbiased, objective financial advice. Contact Zynergy Retirement Planning today to learn more!

Retirement Planning in Somerset County, NJ

Somerset County, NJ is located in the north-central part of the U.S state of New Jersey. Somerset County is part of the New York Metropolitan Area.