Boeing Employee – Should I Retire Early?
Boeing employees nearing retirement age are facing a financial decision that will need to be made by November 30—one that could have a significant impact on their lifestyle in retirement.
Higher Interest Rates and the Lump Sum Pension Benefit
Boeing offers many employees the option at retirement to either receive a pension, providing monthly income for life, or to have a single lump sum deposited into a retirement account that can be invested and withdrawn as desired.
The amount of the pension benefit is based on several factors, including years of service with Boeing and average salary while employed.
When determining the lump sum benefit, the underlying interest rates are an additional factor to take into consideration. Higher interest rates will create a lower lump sum benefit, and lower interest rates will create a higher lump sum benefit. Boeing resets the interest rate used in the calculation once per year in November.
With the significantly higher interest rates we’ve seen in 2022, an engineer who may currently qualify to choose either a $5,000 monthly pension or a $1 million lump sum benefit may be looking at only $800,000 in lump sum benefit if they retire after November 30, 2022. The exact numbers will vary for each employee.
That $200,000 reduced benefit can be a significant incentive for employees who are planning to retire in the next few years to adjust their plans and retire early.
To Whom Does This Apply?
Not all Boeing employees have a pension as part of their benefits. Also, some employees are covered by unions that only offer the monthly pension and do not have a lump sum option.
Boeing engineers who are members of the SPEEA (Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace) union usually have a generous lump sum benefit compared with the monthly pension and may benefit significantly from comparing their options.
Financial Planning to Compare Options
The decision to take either the lump sum in retirement or the monthly pension is a significant one, and both contain risks.
With the lump sum, the employee is accepting the risk of the market and managing the money.
With the monthly pension, the guaranteed income provided to the employee will not increase with inflation. This year has been a good reminder that inflation can significantly reduce the purchasing power of that income.
Also, does it make sense for an employee who originally planned to retire in two years to give up on the years of additional earnings and savings? Can the employee afford to do so?
We help employees compare how a monthly pension or lump sum benefit will interact with other resources (Social Security, retirement accounts, real estate) to determine the ability to meet goals in retirement. We can also compare retiring in 2022 with delaying retirement and possibly receiving a reduced benefit in the future.
Deadline and Next Steps
Boeing employees wanting to claim the lump sum before rising interest rates potentially reduce benefits will have to retire and submit the request for a lump sum benefit by November 30, 2022.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed by assessing the pros and cons of this decision, reach out to us for your complementary personalized analysis. We can help you determine whether retiring now would provide you with a sustainable retirement that meets your lifestyle needs.
Disclosure: All opinions expressed in this article are for general informational purposes and constitute the judgment of the author(s) as of the date of the report. These opinions are subject to change without notice and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual or on any specific security. The material has been gathered from sources believed to be reliable, however Merriman cannot guarantee the accuracy or completeness of such information, and certain information presented here may have been condensed or summarized from its original source. Merriman does not provide tax, legal or accounting advice, and nothing contained in these materials should be taken as such. To determine which investments may be appropriate for you, consult your financial advisor prior to investing. As always please remember investing involves risk and possible loss of principal capital and past performance does not guarantee future returns; please seek advice from a licensed professional.
