Retirement planning: 4 golden rules for small business owners (2024)

Running a small business is an all-consuming task! It takes all your passion, drive, and financial wherewithal to start and grow your business. It is quite natural then that retirement planning might be your last priority. But that is a rookie mistake. As a business owner, you are susceptible to financial uncertainties and while you may have the flexibility to retire later than ordinary working professionals, retirement planning needs serious consideration.

Small business owners face unique challenges often leaving limited money to invest for retirement. Some of these challenges are:

Cash crunch: Small businesses struggle with inadequate working capital, hindering their ability to recover outstanding debts promptly. This forces them to seek financial aid, such as working capital loans, exposing them to additional risks.

Absence of a retirement provision: Salaried individuals have a retirement provision typically built into their income streams EPF, wherein the employer also contributes/matches funds. Business owners do not have these benefits which makes saving for retirement even crucial.

Balancing business investments and personal savings: Entrepreneurs must balance reinvesting profits into their businesses with saving for retirement. Neglecting personal savings can lead to financial strain later on.

Once entrepreneurs navigate the ambiguity of cash flow, retirement becomes an inevitable reality. Here are a few pointers to kickstart your retirement planning journey.

Master the 20:20 rule: Given your flexibility to retire late, you can start retirement planning in your 50s (by then your business is established). Assuming you retire at 70, you have at least 20 years to expand your investments. 2 decades, to invest for your next 2 decades.

Embrace the 30X thumb rule: Save 30X your annual expenses for retirement. For example, with annual expenses of 25,00,000 and a retirement in 20 years, aiming for a 7.5 Cr portfolio is recommended. However, factoring in a 7% average inflation rate over 20 years, you might need a portfolio closer to 20 Cr to sustain your standard of living.

Ace your insurance game: Secure your dependents with term life insurance, aiming for coverage at least 10X your income, while adjusting as liabilities evolve. This serves as a foundational element in this risk management strategy providing your loved ones with financial security and stability in the likelihood of any adverse eventuality. Similarly, with medical inflation touching roofs, prioritising health insurance is must. The sooner you buy a health cover, the cheaper it will be for you.

Diversify your assets to maintain financial stability: Allocate 35% of your funds in equity markets or mutual funds, 35% in guaranteed return options like participating products for consistent long-term returns and regular bonus payouts. Allocate 20% in security nets such as term insurance or annuity plans, and 10% in riskier or illiquid assets like real estate or NFTs to prevent loss of principal money. Regularly monitor and adjust your portfolio to adapt to changing market conditions and mitigate against market shocks.

Lastly, planning for an exit strategy is crucial for small business owners, especially when considering retirement. It's common to feel an obligation to keep the business running, but everyone deserves to enjoy their golden years. Options for transitioning out of the business include passing it on to family members, selling to a corporation or dedicated employee, or partnering with someone to handle day-to-day operations while still being involved. Ultimately, having a clear exit plan ensures a smooth transition and allows for the enjoyment of retirement.

Anup Seth, Chief Distribution Officer, Edelweiss Tokio Life Insurance

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Published: 07 Mar 2024, 11:38 AM IST

Retirement planning: 4 golden rules for small business owners (2024)

FAQs

What 4 factors must be considered when making individual retirement plans? ›

Here are four key factors to consider when planning for your retirement:
  • Inflation. You may be aware that, over time, inflation can erode your savings. ...
  • Taxes. ...
  • Compound Interest. ...
  • Personal Savings.

What is the golden rule of retirement planning? ›

Embrace the 30X thumb rule: Save 30X your annual expenses for retirement. For example, with annual expenses of ₹25,00,000 and a retirement in 20 years, aiming for a ₹7.5 Cr portfolio is recommended.

What are 4 other components of retirement planning that should be taken into consideration? ›

The process of creating a retirement plan includes identifying your income sources, adding up your expenses, putting a savings plan into effect, and managing your assets. By estimating your future cash flows, you can judge whether your retirement income goal is realistic.

How do I set up a retirement plan for myself? ›

Retirement planning has five steps: knowing when to start, calculating how much money you'll need, setting priorities, choosing accounts and choosing investments.

What is the 4% rule on Fidelity? ›

We did the math—looking at history and simulating many potential outcomes—and landed on this: For a high degree of confidence that you can cover a consistent amount of expenses in retirement (i.e., it should work 90% of the time), aim to withdraw no more than 4% to 5% of your savings in the first year of retirement, ...

Who developed the 4 rule for retirement? ›

William P. Bengen is a retired financial adviser who first articulated the 4% withdrawal rate ("Four percent rule") as a rule of thumb for withdrawal rates from retirement savings; it is eponymously known as the "Bengen rule".

Is the 4 retirement rule still appropriate? ›

While it's not guaranteed, multiple studies of the 4% rule show that there is near certainty that your retirement savings will last for at least 30 years. Of course, this is based on what the stock market has done and not necessarily on what it will do. You may also live longer than 30 years after your retirement.

What is the 4 rule for early retirement? ›

To achieve early retirement, F.I.R.E. investors cut costs aggressively and save large percentages of their income. Their milestone for financial independence is a portfolio large enough to sustain their spending with inflation- adjusted withdrawals equal to 4% of the portfolio's initial value—the so-called 4% rule.

What are the 3 R's of retirement? ›

Three R's for a Fulfilling RetirementRediscover, Relearn, Relive. When we think of the word 'retirement', images of relaxed beachside living or perhaps a peaceful cottage home might come to mind.

What are the 5 things to consider when planning for retirement? ›

Set up your savings to get you to your goal.
  • Figure out when you might have enough money to retire. ...
  • Consider your expenses, including medical care. ...
  • See how your retirement age affects your Social Security benefits. ...
  • Make a plan to pay off your debts.

What are the 3 important components of every retirement plan? ›

A good plan isn't just about the size of your nest egg. It's also about how you manage these three things: taxes, investment strategy and income planning.

What are the 7 crucial mistakes of retirement planning? ›

7 common retirement planning mistakes — and how to avoid them
  • Expecting the government to look after you. ...
  • Counting on an inheritance. ...
  • Not having an estate plan. ...
  • Not accounting for healthcare costs. ...
  • Forgetting about inflation. ...
  • Paying more tax than you need to. ...
  • Not being realistic. ...
  • Embrace your future.

What is the best retirement plan for a small business owner? ›

Though ideally, a small business owner can sell their business before retirement for a tidy profit, this is not always guaranteed nor is the sale amount. Some ways small business owners can ensure retirement savings are by establishing a SIMPLE IRA, a SEP IRA, a traditional or Roth IRA, and a Solo 401(k).

What is the $1000 a month rule for retirement? ›

One example is the $1,000/month rule. Created by Wes Moss, a Certified Financial Planner, this strategy helps individuals visualize how much savings they should have in retirement. According to Moss, you should plan to have $240,000 saved for every $1,000 of disposable income in retirement.

What is the best retirement plan for a sole proprietor without employees? ›

SEP IRA. Best for: Self-employed people or small-business owners with no or few employees. Contribution limit: The lesser of $69,000 in 2024, or up to 25% of compensation or net self-employment earnings, with a $345,000 limit on compensation that can be used to factor the contribution.

What are some factors that are related to retirement as an individual decision? ›

Health and disability status play a major role in determining whether workers can continue to work and whether retirees would be able to work if they so desired. Specifically, workers in poor health are less able to continue working, and retirees in poor health are less able to have worked longer than they did.

What are the factors affecting retirement planning? ›

Factors that affect retirement planning include risk tolerance, financial literacy, savings, income, debt, gender, and age. Risk tolerance, financial literacy, income, and savings have positive relationships with retirement planning .

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