If you're looking to grow your portfolio throughout retirement while maintaining some semblance of conservativeness, consider a Money Market Account, mutual fund, preferred stock, life insurance, CD, or treasury securities.
Treasury bills, notes, bonds, and TIPS are some of the safest options. While the typical interest rate for these funds will be lower than those of other investments, they come with very little risk.
An 80-year old is well along into retirement and his personal risks in the stock market depend on the sources of his retirement income. If the main sources of income are a pension and Social Security, a stock market drop will not significantly affect his lifestyle.
Generally speaking, if you want to earn more interest, you'll need to take on more risk — and for many retirees, that's not a good option, either. You can safely earn far more with I Bonds, a type of savings bond issued by the U.S. Treasury, and protect against future high inflation.
Key Takeaways. Savings accounts are a safe place to keep your money because all deposits made by consumers are guaranteed by the FDIC for bank accounts or the NCUA for credit union accounts. Certificates of deposit (CDs) issued by banks and credit unions also carry deposit insurance.
The Takeaway
So, can the government take money out of your bank account? The answer is yes – sort of. While the government may not be the one directly taking the money out of someone's account, they can permit an employer or financial institution to do so.
Food. Households run by someone age 65 or older spent $6,207 annually, or $517.23 monthly, buying food from 2016 through 2020. Those aged 65 to 74 spent $6,864 per year, and those over 75 spent $5,274.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Americans age 65 and older spend about $48,000 per year on average.
Retirees enjoy over seven hours of leisure time per day, according to 2019 data from the American Time Use Survey. They use their newfound free time in a variety of ways, including taking up new hobbies, relaxing at home, watching TV and lingering over daily activities. Many retirees also continue to work or volunteer.
Another disadvantage is I bonds can't be purchased and held in a traditional or Roth IRA. The I bonds have to be held in a taxable account. Another disadvantage of I bonds is there is an interest penalty if the bonds are redeemed in the first five years.
No, I Bonds can't lose value. The interest rate cannot go below zero and the redemption value of your I bonds can't decline.
EE Bond and I Bond Differences
EE bonds offer a guaranteed return that doubles your investment if held for 20 years. There is no guaranteed return with I bonds. The annual maximum purchase amount for EE bonds is $10,000 per individual whereas you can purchase up to $15,000 in I bonds per year.
Social Security offers a monthly benefit check to many kinds of recipients. As of March 2022, the average check is $1,536.94, according to the Social Security Administration – but that amount can differ drastically depending on the type of recipient.
But if you can supplement your retirement income with other savings or sources of income, then $6,000 a month could be a good starting point for a comfortable retirement.
That means that even if you're not one of those lucky few who have $1 million or more socked away, you can still retire well, so long as you keep your monthly budget under $3,000 a month.
Based on the 80% principle, you can expect to need about $96,000 in annual income after you retire, which is $8,000 per month.
Best investments for short-term money
Low risk and accounts are backed by the FDIC. Bank products and Treasurys are safest, corporate bond funds slightly less so. CDs and bonds are relatively low risk compared to stocks, which can fluctuate a lot and are high risk.