Retired, or soon will be? If so, the question is, can you get along on your retirement income? Experienced personal financial writer Morgan Quinn, whose advice has appeared on WSJ.com, Huffington Post, and Slate, says that if you can’t get along, there are ways to increase that income. This piece, adapted for our friends at NextAvenue.org from GoBankingRates.com, is a little longer than the norm for BoomerCafé, but the topic is so important, we think you’ll want to read it all. Especially since you can do most of these things from home.
The traditional retirement of a generation ago looks very different today. Many retirees do not have a company pension and health care, sufficient savings, or adequate Social Security. According to the 2015 Retirement Confidence Survey from the Employee Benefit Research Institute, only 22-percent of workers are very confident that they have enough money for a comfortable retirement.
The future of retirement may look bleak, but just because you’re jumping out of the workforce (or already have) doesn’t mean you can’t still earn an income. With a little creativity and a lot of drive, there are plenty of ways to bring home a little bacon. Here are seven ideas to boost your retirement income:
1. Get a Flexible or Home-Based Job
Many retirees can find work through sites that specialize in part-time, home-based employment.
“Working from home is quickly becoming a solid option for retirees because it eliminates the things we all dislike most about work — commuting and office politics,” says Sara Sutton Fell, CEO and founder of FlexJobs. “There are also onsite projects, so if someone wants to get out of the house for work, this is a great option too. Remote or telecommuting jobs can be found in almost every career field. Some telecommuting jobs recently listed include at-home “English as a second language” teacher and virtual assistant, and some of the more interesting freelance projects we’ve seen listed include photo researcher, content editor, and medical interpreter.”
2. Become a Consultant
Many entrepreneurs and small business owners need advice from consultants who work on an hourly basis. If you’re an expert in your field, a consulting business can bring in extra income and still give you the flexibility you crave during retirement.
“Consultants and the expertise they bring are in demand,” says Tim Hird, executive director of Robert Half Management Resources. Businesses are working with these professionals to access specialized expertise, support key projects, and help their full-time employees.”
To start a consulting business, “Tap your network for their thoughts and referrals,” he says. “Also consider working with a staffing firm specializing in placing experienced professionals. The firm can handle the marketing and administrative aspects of consulting for you and allow you to do what you enjoy most: the work.”
3. Pursue a Passion
Plenty of people turn their passions into careers, and retirees are no exception.
Ed Snyder of Oaktree Financial Advisors says he has several clients who have turned their interests into side jobs during retirement. “I have a client who was a decorator, and in her retirement she works for a local retailer helping them to design and lay out their store displays. She loves the work,” says Snyder.
Retirees don’t need to limit themselves to what they did in their previous careers, either. “I have a client who retired in his 50s who loves golf,” Snyder says. “He picked up a part-time job at a golf course helping around the pro shop. He gets to pick up some extra cash and do what he loves. Tell me he doesn’t look forward to going into work every day.”
4. Help and Serve Others
Some of your fellow retirees and other people need help with basic services. “The very oldest among us will need increasing help and support,” says Roy Cohen, career coach and author of The Wall Street Professional’s Survival Guide. “For those who want to remain independent, having a person to help with errands, driving, personal hygiene, and other activities will become essential.”
Other service jobs include dog walking, house sitting, and tutoring. “The prospect of working beyond the age of 62 or 65 is fast becoming a reality,” Cohen adds. “People are living longer, healthier lives and realizing that work is central to maintaining a sense of purpose and joy.”
5. Participate in Market Research
Yes, you can get paid for having an opinion. Many companies hire market research firms to poll consumers about their products and services. These research firms often offer cash or gift cards in exchange for your time.
David Bakke, finance expert at MoneyCrashers, recommends Delve or Focus Pointe Global. “Sign up for an account and from time to time you’ll get email questionnaires to complete, or sometimes you’ll be called on the telephone. If your answers qualify, you’ll be asked to participate in a test group or panel discussion, and you can make as much as $100 for just several hours of your time.”
6. Cash in on the Sharing Economy
In the sharing economy, owners can rent out something they are not using. For example, if you don’t drive very often or own more than one vehicle, you can rent your car out through a website like RelayRides. Alternatively, you can list your home for rent on a website like VRBO (Vacation Rentals by Owner) or Airbnb. On sites like JustPark and StowThat, homeowners rent out parking spots or attic and garage spaces, which can be especially lucrative if you live in a city where storage is hard to come by. And speaking of renting out extra space…
7. Build a Small Rental Unit
This kind of project doesn’t have to be as complicated or as expensive as it sounds. “Many houses are well-suited to be modified without too much expense to include an autonomous rental apartment,” says Joanne Cleaver, author of The Career Lattice. “The rent is great extra income, and the homeowners will save on taxes through pro rata write-offs of certain expenses. Just be sure to check with your home insurer first about maintaining coverage, or find a new insurer that will meet your new needs.” Also remember to follow zoning and other laws.
If you aren’t crazy about dealing with the hassle of managing a rental unit, you might want to consider hiring a property management company. You’ll sacrifice some of your profit, but it could eliminate a lot of headaches.
© Twin Cities Public Television – 2016. All rights reserved.
So far – publishing my fiction. I always planned to in retirement, and I got a start before that – not much in the way of income.
But with Amazon, work is available forever if you’re indie (the vaunted ‘long tail’), and your books may be generating income for your heirs. Traditional publishers – not so much. You’re at the mercy of their distribution systems, which don’t support midlist or long tail very well; and the royalties are paltry unless you’re one of the top 1%.
Boomers have an amazing amount of wisdom – fiction and non-fiction alike are real possibilities for those who have the writing gene. Plus it gives you something you need to learn in retirement: how to market your own work. Very good for the brain!
So you can publish through Amazon? My adult son has a great mind and clever with words and ideas. Your info is interesting.