{"id":27016,"date":"2016-11-17T14:47:28","date_gmt":"2016-11-17T06:47:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.imoney.my\/articles\/?p=27016"},"modified":"2017-09-12T11:33:36","modified_gmt":"2017-09-12T03:33:36","slug":"independence-costs-more-golden-years","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.imoney.my\/articles\/independence-costs-more-golden-years","title":{"rendered":"Does Independence Cost More In Your Golden Years?"},"content":{"rendered":"
Malaysia defines a senior citizen as someone above the age of 60, and according to the Statistics Department<\/a>, those above 65 years old make up 1.9 million, or 6% of the population.<\/p>\n By 2030, the United Nations estimates an elderly population uptick to 15%, officially turning Malaysia into an ageing country.<\/p>\n Everyone ages and while retirement may be comforting, it is also nerve-racking. Retirees no longer enjoy the routine of drawing a monthly salary, meaning a heavy reliance on savings and pensions.<\/p>\n Latest data suggests that Malaysians are living longer, beyond the national average. While that is a good thing, it also leaves a larger number of people susceptible to illnesses such as dementia and Alzheimer\u2019s, which are typical among senior folk.<\/p>\n Source: <\/em><\/strong>Department of Statistics Malaysia<\/em><\/strong><\/a>.<\/em><\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n Studies also found that people\u2019s financial abilities decline<\/a> from the age of 50 years old. To make matters worse, a person could be making a bad decision but feel perfectly happy with it. Such a bizarre example is actually normal as one ages.<\/p>\n The population boom comes at a time when Malaysians are wrestling with the rising cost of living and struggling to make ends meet.<\/p>\n One day they will have to confront ageing, either in the form of taking care of themselves as they age or even taking care of their elderly parents. Regardless of the circumstance, it involves money.<\/p>\n Here are a few scenarios that you need to consider when you are planning for your retirement:<\/p>\n Say, you are ageing healthily and have no major complications but may need some assistance such as house chores, which involves hiring a maid. You have paid your mortgage and car loan and have no outstanding loans and debts and want to live a simple lifestyle.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s how much you\u2019ll spend on average in a year in today\u2019s value:<\/p>\n\n<\/span>Semi-independent living<\/span><\/h2>\n