Is Your Nest Egg as Healthy as You Are?

About four out of five people hope to live to their 80s or beyond, according to a recent Harris Interactive study.^* And of those, more than half hope to make it past 90. But the 2005 Retirement Confidence Survey shows that two-thirds of workers are less than confident that they will have enough money to live comfortably throughout retirement.^**

Many Americans have become more conscious of steps they can take to keep themselves healthy as they age. But exercising, eating right and getting health screenings may not lead to a fulfilling retirement if you don't keep your retirement nest egg healthy, too. A person who retires at 65 and lives to 90 will have to pay the bills without a paycheck for 25 years. And yet, only 42% of workers or their spouses have done a calculation to figure out how much money they are likely to need in retirement.^**

To help ensure you'll be able to rely on your retirement savings throughout your golden years, consider these tips:

Take a close look at your Social Security statement when it arrives in the mail. Notice the age at which you can receive full benefits, the projected benefit amount and the percentage of your pay that it will replace.

Estimate how long you may live, based on family history and personal health. An interactive tool that can help with this step is available online at www.choosetosave.org.^***

Talk with an Investment Adviser at any Harleysville National Bank location or use an online calculator to get a sense of how much you need to save to retire comfortably. The Ballpark Estimate^® is an easy-to-use calculator provided by the American Savings Education Council at www.choosetosave.org.^*** We also have a number of financial calculators.

Control your finances with a spending and savings plan, and be sure to put sufficient money toward retirement savings.

Contribute to your employer-sponsored retirement plan and/or an IRA. You'll enjoy tax advantages including tax-deferred or tax-free growth.^†

Increase your retirement savings whenever you get a raise or earn a bonus.

Monitor your retirement investments and adjust them as necessary. This includes rebalancing your portfolio as some investments outperform others to maintain the asset allocation you've selected, as well as changing your allocation as your goals, timeline and risk tolerance change.

Don't make the decision to retire until you have created a financial plan for retirement. Identify what your major expenses will be, determine how you will pay for health care and estimate how much of your nest egg you can withdraw each year.

By taking steps to protect both your physical well-being and the health of your retirement nest egg, you may be able to enjoy a long, rewarding retirement.