Retiring with a traditional pension is a financial win, putting you among the lucky minority of Americans with such income. But your most important decision is still ahead of you. If your employer asks you to choose between guaranteed monthly checks and a lump-sum cash buyout, opting for the wrong payment type could cost you thousands over your lifetime.
“Everyone’s situation is a little different,” says Thrivent Financial Advisor Jason Rogoff. “You have to analyze the situation and look at what other assets people have, what other streams of income, their age and health.”
When it comes to pension payouts, some rules may impact the decision-making process. For example, with many pensions, payouts end with the spouse, so they can’t be passed on to the children. Meanwhile, the majority of private pensions don’t account for inflation with a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA). Then there are tax treatments and investment choices to worry about.
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Since there are so many moving parts, it’s important to put yourself through the paces before selecting a payout. To help you decide, answer these three questions first.
1. Do your guaranteed income sources already cover your monthly bills?
“I like to have a guaranteed source of income for my clients over things like housing, utilities, healthcare and food,” says Rogoff. “One of the first questions people should ask is, do I have enough guaranteed income, or do I need more? ‘”
To determine if you have enough guaranteed income, add up all your monthly expenses and subtract them from your guaranteed monthly income before your pension. If you face a shortfall, Rogoff said it may be better to take lifetime monthly payments to ensure your expenses are covered.
There are downsides to getting paid monthly for your lifetime, including:
- Inflation: Most private pension payments are fixed with no inflation protection. (Public plans usually do offer a COLA.)
- Liquidity: You can’t pull out more money for a one-time emergency.
- Stability: Payouts depend on the plan’s stability and may be reduced. The federal government’s Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) acts as an insurer of private pensions and will step in if a pension fails. All 50 states offer some form of protection for public pensions.
- Heritability: The benefit often ends with the spouse. You typically can’t pass it on to your children.
- Tax complications: If your monthly benefit is significant, it may push you into a higher tax bracket over several years, especially if you’ll have to take required minimum distributions (RMDs) at 73 or 75.
- Hybrid options: You may not have to make an all-or-nothing decision, as some pensions allow you to divide your benefit into a lump sum and monthly checks.
2. Are you comfortable managing an investment portfolio through market ups and downs?
When you take a lump sum payout from your pension, your employer pays you an amount that is typically calculated by estimating the present value of all your future monthly checks using IRS interest rates and life expectancy tables. You give up a guaranteed monthly income for life and shift all the investment risk onto yourself. But in return, you get complete control over your money and full investment flexibility.
That can be scary for some retirees and exciting for others. Knowing your level of comfort with investing and the markets is essential in making the right decision. After all, if you take the lump sum and select to roll it into an IRA, you will have to decide what to invest in and when to sell. There is also the potential for it to grow more in the markets than if you chose a fixed monthly payout over your lifetime.
“If you have financial sophistication and don’t mind dealing with risk, it may be wisest to take the lump sum,” said Jeffrey Smith, owner of The Retirement Smith, a financial advisory firm.
Keep in mind that if you take the lump sum and don’t roll it into an IRA, it will be treated as ordinary income and subject to taxes, including a 20% withholding by your employer in certain circumstances.
3. Is leaving an inheritance important, and how is your health?
Your health and legacy goals must be considered in lockstep when deciding how to receive your pension payments. After all, your guaranteed monthly pension payments are tied to your life expectancy; for many pensions, the checks stop coming once you pass away.
If protecting your spouse is of utmost importance and there is a significant age gap, a monthly payout with a joint-and-survivor option may be the better choice. It guarantees your spouse continues to get paid after you are gone. Keep in mind that selecting that option typically reduces your monthly benefit.
Note that if a married person wants to take a lump sum or a single-life annuity (cutting out the spouse), the spouse must sign a waiver.
Installment payments may also be the better option if everyone in your family lives well into their 90s, as it guarantees you won’t outlive your money. But it also means once you and your spouse are gone, your kids won’t see a dime. So if legacy is more important than protecting a spouse, a lump-sum payout that you can invest and leave to your children may be the better option.
No two retirements are the same
Whether to choose a lump-sum payout or guaranteed monthly income over your lifetime will depend on your cash flow, health, legacy and financial sophistication. What makes total sense for one person may seem completely wrong for another.
Before you make a decision that you can’t take back, weigh all your options, answer these three questions, and if you are still unsure, seek the help of a trusted adviser. Remember, you are among the lucky ones to still have a pension — make sure you are getting the most out of it for you and your family.
Read More “3 Questions” Stories
Editor’s note: This article is part of an ongoing series looking at three questions to ask yourself before making a major financial or lifestyle decision. The other stories in the series are:
- Retirement readiness
- Where to retire
- Retirement savings and spending
