May 18, 2017

A new study indicates that there’s an even better reason to try to save more for retirement. Research presented by the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College identified whether or not a growing retiree population would have an impact on investment returns. The study identified that the growing number of individuals retiring every single day and drawing down their accounts would have a potentially negative impact on the returns of investments in general.

There are shrinking numbers of subsequent generations beyond the baby boomers but the baby boomers make up a significant portion of the population. If the supply of savings increases relative to the demand for that money, the clearing on savings will decrease and investors would receive less income from dividends, interests, and profits for every dollar that they invest.

If the savings supply, however, falls relative to demand, savings can be invested in opportunities that have higher returns. As the demographic in the United States, however, shifts towards an older population mean, the economy needs less money to build new factories, machinery, offices, and roads than it did when the labor force was expanding. Although younger generations will help to increase the demand for and the supply of savings as they prepare for retirement and pay off debt and borrow, retirees will also be drawing down their own accumulated assets during the retirement process. Retirees draw down savings typically at a much slower pace than suggested by previous research. Retirees tend to hold reserves which makes it all the more important to have an experienced estate planning attorney help you determine what will happen to your assets after you pass away.