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Taxes and Inflation after Retirement

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Taxes and Inflation after Retirement

 

 





Senior citizens must aim for tax-efficient products that give them a positive real rate of interest

People who are in their 70s and 80s had retired at a time when inflation was not a big menace and most banks paid a rate of interest which was either close to or around the double digit mark. But times have changed. The rate of interest paid by banks in fixed deposits is now very much linked to the rate of inflation and, more often than not, they are lower than the inflation rate. This naturally leaves FD customers in a slightly disadvantageous position as they are usually left with a negative real rate of interest (rate of interest ­ rate of inflation). Added to this is the incidence of income tax on some of the retired people. The two combine to force retired people to either dip into their savings corpus to meet their standards of living, or cut down on expenses to manage with whatever income they generate on their retirement corpus.

You may still have to pay a large amount as tax if you do not invest your lump sum provident money in the right products. Tax is also payable on income from property (rent), capital gains (long term and short-term), and dividend and interest from fixed-income investments. Additionally, if a person is getting pension, then this inflow along with income from other sources together may create some income tax liability. Financial planners also say that retired people, soon after receiving a large amount as provident fund, sometimes make unwise or hasty investment decisions and end up with unsuitable investment products in their portfolio.
Retirement corpus comprising of pension fund, provident fund and other savings must be invested in the right place and right products, which are safe and could give higher post-tax returns to beat inflation. Also, you want your investments to generate monthly or quarterly returns which you can use for your household expenses. This is why postretirement financial planning becomes significant.

Aim for liquidity

Financial planners and advisers point out that retired people in their 70s and 80s should also keep in mind the liquidity aspect relating to their investments. So it is advisable they park their money in investment products that mature between three and five years, or in those where there are options for quick withdrawal and are also tax-efficient.

Maintain equity exposure

After the government changed the rules relating to long-term capital gains and imposed higher tax, some advantages that accrued to retail investors through the debt mutual fund route do not exist any more. Because of these changes, it would be wise for individuals who do not have any major pending financial goal like children's marriage or buying a house to maintain a small part of the corpus in equity funds.


Though equity is volatile and one should avoid overexposure to stocks post retirement, considering the need for generating inflation-adjusted positive returns, one can maintain a small part of the portfolio in equities to generate inflation-adjusted positive returns.

Senior citizens could invest between 5% and 25% of their corpus in equities, depending on the economic situation and market valuations. However, such investments should always be made after consulting an experienced financial planner or adviser.

Make your Will

In addition to investments, retired people should also have an estate plan ­ like a Will or a trust structure ­ ready, as this will be able to protect the person, his/her spouse and their heirs. Often people procrastinate making a Will, leaving the heirs to deal with several legal hassles in dividing the estate.

The estate plan should ensure that your assets are distributed according to your choice. It is also important to ensure that all your investments have a nominee registered and all your important documents should be held safely, where your spouse/ loved ones can access if you are not able to any more.

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