Dante's Seven Deadly Sins as a Backdrop to Retirement Planning

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Dante’s 7 deadly sins have long been deemed to be the main avenues to eternal damnation. Any aspect of life then is great fodder for examination using the 7 sins as backdrop, retirement planning being no exception. If aspects of your personal financial situation regarding retirement planning are of perpetual concern, this checklist of common disorders could get yourself back on track.

Pride—You don’t admit you need help when retirement planning becomes more complicated than you originally thought. Men are apt to be worse than women in this regard, experts say.
“All too often, men won’t admit to others where they lost money,” says Tim McCarthy, president of the Fidelity Investment Advisor Group, and former president and chief operating officer of Charles Schwab Corp. “Women, however, are more likely to discuss their investment failures as well as successes. They don’t define themselves by how much investment acumen they have.”
The clear danger to going it alone: Emotions that arise may easily lead to irrational decisions. A professional such as a certified financial planner can help with your individual retirement plan.
“Someone not doing this full time will be less likely to spot trouble,” says Larry Luxenberg, principal of Lexington Avenue Capital Management, New City, N.Y. Good examples of trouble spots, he says, are asset allocation and portfolio diversification.
“When an amateur gets these wrong,” says Luxenberg, “it could spell the difference between a comfortable retirement and a much delayed one -- or worse.”
So swallow your pride when it comes to building a long-term portfolio.
Envy—“Keeping up with the Jones’” Yes, it’s a cliché. Envy also is a deadly sin that can unwittingly thwart your retirement planning.
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“Be sure to stick to your savings goals and budget for the retirement years,” he advises.
Lust—Make sure your retirement planning goals are realistic. Don’t lust for what you can’t have or can’t achieve. Most of the time you won’t achieve it.
Say you currently have $1million in your 401 (k). If you tell your financial planner you want $5 million in three years so you can retire, “you’re lusting after an unrealistic objective, says planner Warren.
“Investing is not wishing for something you don’t have,” says Warren. “Realistically, retirement planning would be achieving realistic goals.”
Rafal agrees: “Lusting after a specific number could mean overexposing yourself to risk and jeopardizing your entire retirement future in trying to achieve that specific number,” he says. “Instead, create a retirement plan based on your income needs for the golden years.”

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