Keep Your Money Working After You Retire

Retirement can be a joyful time of life. You get to leave the daily grind and spend more time doing the things you love with the people you care about. If you've saved up enough money to live comfortably, you can live a fulfilling, carefree life.

If you did a particularly good job of retirement planning, you may have enough money in savings to carry you through for many years to come. Even so, it's wise to keep your money working for you. You'll need to keep up with inflation, and if you live a particularly long life, you could run out of funds. And then there's the chance that you could incur unexpected expenses such as long-term care.So instead of putting the brakes on your investing, it's best to continue as though you have yet to retire. If you have adequate retirement savings, you'll only be using a portion of your money each year. There's no reason that the rest of your money shouldn't be earning a return for you.

The Best Investments for RetireesThere are many types of investments available, each with its own pros and cons. To find the best investment for your situation, you need to consider your tolerance for risk and the need for access to your money.

You should be able to put most of your retirement funds into fairly long-term investments. If you want to take on very little risk while keeping up with inflation, CDs are a good option. Money market funds and mutual funds are also low-risk. Stocks and bonds are riskier, but if chosen wisely and managed responsibly, they can net larger returns. Annuities are also popular investments among retirees. Life annuities require the annuitant to pay a premium in exchange for payouts made at regular intervals for the rest of his life. This provides guaranteed income, eliminating the danger of outliving one's savings. There are also joint annuities that pay out until the last of two people dies, and guaranteed term annuities that pay out for a specified period of time, with payments going to a beneficiary if the annuitant dies.

For money that you want easy access to, a money market account is a good place to keep it. These accounts earn more interest than your average savings account, yet they allow for quick and easy withdrawal of funds. But keeping your entire nest egg in such an account is unwise, because it could be earning much more with other investments.

Retirement should be a time in your life where money is not a major concern. Unfortunately, it doesn't always work that way. By keeping your money at work for you, you can keep your finances in good order for years to come and have some left over for your heirs.