{"id":435,"date":"2025-06-20T22:36:17","date_gmt":"2025-06-20T22:36:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/435\/"},"modified":"2025-06-20T22:36:17","modified_gmt":"2025-06-20T22:36:17","slug":"retiring-in-2026-6-reasons-you-should-delay-those-plans","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/435\/","title":{"rendered":"Retiring in 2026? 6 Reasons You Should Delay Those Plans"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

At nearly halfway through 2025, some folks may be eyeballing 2026 for retirement<\/a> for any number of reasons.<\/p>\n

Find Out: David Letterman\u2019s Top Reason To Rethink Retirement: Do Experts Agree With His \u2018Myth of Retirement\u2019?<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Read Next: 10 Unreliable SUVs To Stay Away From Buying<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Getting to that point is a great accomplishment if you\u2019re well prepared, but if you aren\u2019t, you could be putting yourself in a state of undue stress right as you hope to be relaxing into a more leisurely life.<\/p>\n

Financial experts suggested some reasons you might want to delay a 2026 retirement<\/a>.<\/p>\n

If you haven\u2019t thoroughly mapped out your retirement income sources<\/a>, projected expenses (including potential long-term care costs), and developed a solid investment strategy to address any shortfalls and market volatility, it may be wise to delay retirement, according to Christine Lam, a CFP and investment advisor representative at Financial Investment Team.<\/a><\/p>\n

High Yield Savings Offers <\/p>\n

Powered by Money.com – Yahoo may earn commission from the links above. <\/p>\n

\u201cTypically, retirement planning conversations begin five to 10 years ahead of a projected retirement date,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

She strongly recommended consulting a financial planner for a comprehensive retirement analysis and cash flow projection well before retirement.<\/p>\n

Learn More: 6 Cash-Flow Mistakes Boomers Are Making With Their Retirement Savings<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Social Security benefits are calculated based on your highest 35 years of earnings, Lam said. If your work history includes several years with little or no income, continuing to work could help replace those lower-earning years with higher-income ones, which increases your future Social Security benefits<\/a>, she pointed out.<\/p>\n

\u201cAdditionally, delaying the start of Social Security benefits beyond full retirement age (generally age 67) can result in a permanent increase in your monthly payout,\u201d she said. Careful Social Security planning is a key part of retirement planning.<\/p>\n

Unfortunately, in 2026, you may still be retiring into a time of elevated interest rates, sticky inflation and uneven market performance, all of which can disrupt portfolio withdrawals and reduce purchasing power, according to Christopher Stroup, CFP and owner of Silicon Beach Financial<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cRetiring into volatility without a plan for sequencing risk, especially for equity-heavy portfolios, can erode long-term wealth,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

These times require flexibility and proactive planning.<\/p>\n

People retiring before age 65 should consider the implications of losing employer-sponsored health insurance, Lam said.<\/p>\n

Story Continues <\/p>\n

\u201cSince Medicare eligibility begins at age 65, those with ongoing health issues may find it beneficial to remain employed in order to maintain coverage,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Stroup agreed, saying that the cost of rising out-of-pocket expenses and Medicare premiums can eat into fixed retirement income.<\/p>\n

\u201cDelaying retirement gives you time to build a health savings account (HSA), extend employer coverage or optimize Medicare enrollment to avoid late penalties and income-related premium surcharges,\u201d Stroup said.<\/p>\n

An added benefit of delaying your retirement and working longer is that it may allow you to delay required minimum distributions (RMDs), the payments you are required to take from your retirement accounts by age 70. This means you can avoid tapping taxable accounts too soon and can contribute more to retirement plans<\/a>, Stroup explained.<\/p>\n

\u201cEntrepreneurs can also better time business exits to manage capital gains and harvest deductions strategically,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

The stock market has been volatile this year, largely due to tariff trade wars, but if you were to retire into an economic downturn, you risk \u201clocking in investment losses by withdrawing at depressed values,\u201d Stroup said.<\/p>\n

Thus, delaying retirement gives your portfolio more time to recover and reduces the number of years you\u2019ll rely on it for income.<\/p>\n

Before retiring, use this checklist to make sure you\u2019re ready. Here\u2019s what you should have:<\/p>\n