AppraisalPort poll – retirement plans
Poll Results
www.appraisalport.com
Not considering Social Security, my Retirement Plan consists primarily of:
401k/IRA and savings 611 votes 14%
401k/IRA and investments 917 votes 20%
401K/IRA and pension 172 votes 16%
Savings, Investments and pension 412 votes 9%
401K/IRA alone 329 votes 7%
Investments alone 197 votes 4%
Pension alone 45 votes 1%
Savings alone 280 votes 9%
Income or other Property(s) 457 votes 10%
I need to start a plan 1,074 votes 24%
Total Votes: 4,494
My comment: Many active appraisers are getting older (as is our national population). With about half of appraisers 50 or older, many of us are thinking about retirement. The “old days” of retiring at 65 are declining fast. In the past, there was often mandatory retirement at 65 to allow new workers to enter the market. That is gone, except for a few occupations.
Last night I watched a new Frontline (PBS) documentary on retirement, focusing on mutual funds. I thought I was knowledgable, but I realized I was not. I had a company 401k when I worked in a corporate real estate job many years ago. I didn’t really analzye how my money was being invested. I cashed it out to start my appraisal business. I did not realize the high costs investors pay to mutual funds. Also, the severe impact on employees of the shift from pensions to 401ks as businesses quit offering pensions. One of my brothers had all his 401k invested in his company stock, which tanked and has never come back. I warned him, but the stock price was zooming then.
I will be 70 next month and starting to collect Social Security. Like many fee appraisers, I starting cutting back on appraisals several years ago. I don’t need as much money now as I did 10-20 years ago. I am no longer willing to work 7 days a week, 12 hours a day. As we get older, all of us are physically less able, which means no more 2-3 inspections per day plus hours and hours of driving, etc. for residential appraisals. Fortunately we can always do desk reviews, hire someone to drive us around and help with inspections, etc.
Stress is also a factor. I am no longer willing to put up with clients that are a real hassle. Unfortunately, the hassle factor keeps going up and up with AMCs.
I was surprised that only 10% answered real estate. The appraisers I know who retired early all invested in real estate. I only have one investment property, a duplex. But, rents go up over time in my area and are steady income. A much more steady income than stocks and bonds. My other source of retirement savings will be the sale of my publishing business some day. I have never planned on selling my appraisal business. It is possible, but I did not set up my business for future sale. Also, newsletter businesses sell for a lot more and there are plenty of buyers. One of the reasons I started my newsletter is that there is a very active market in selling business to business newsletters, like this one. I really like appraising and this newsletter, so I plan to continue both businesses. But, I will be cutting back more on appraising. Even if I am no longer writing appraisal reports, I will always be an appraiser!!
this ios the best article on the appraiser futur plans and valuation by the perfect retirement plans.
The retirement plans are must be properlly maintained and created by the expert after calculating all the valuation.
They say 60 is the new 40, that said I just turned 40 again last week. I think they say that because we still have to work another 25 years in order to be able to afford retirement.
Thanks so much for the very interesting post. I agree with you that real estate holdings are a great way to secure one’s future. The rents and the values are going up, and even if they were to stay the same, real estate investments can offer one a steady stream of income into the future.
All the best!
Retirement requires assets. Whose assets have not been serious diminished by this recession? Moreover, rates of return on secure investments are very low, so earnings in dollars are also very low. It’s highly likely this recession added 5 years or more to the work life of most appraisers. As such, it’s very unlikely there will be a sortage of appraisers anytime during the next decade.
Just keep cranking-out those reports; retirement is not on the horizon.
I knew I shoulda kept that assessor’s office job I had in 1979!! I would have my 30 years in with a retirement pension plus social security!! Oh well… it was sorta boring and I have never been a good employee ;>
Here in NJ CTA is the best gig around many are full time in one town, at about 100-125k and part time in several more at 20-25k each, also rack up additional pension in each part time town.
Nice work if you can get it.