How much does high inflation really affect retirees?
The answer depends on healthcare costs, Social Security benefits, and your own financial circumstances.
It’s a truism that high inflation hits hardest for people on fixed incomes—especially retirees. And seniors are telling pollsters that high inflation is among their top worries.
But the actual impact of inflation on retirees is more complex. It depends in large part on your financial circumstances and age—and on how you manage healthcare costs and Social Security claiming decisions.
My Morningstar column this month takes a deep dive into the numbers.
The first sentence really bothers me, the term "fixed income " is almost always inaccurate and only serves to stir emotions. As the article goes on to say, social security, which almost all retirees get, is not fixed, it is adjusted for inflation. And retirees who better provided for themselves by saving/ investing typically use some spending algorithm like the "4%" rule which adjusts for inflation. You average 6% or 7% returns, inflation averages 3%, your principal thus increases 3%, so the next year's 4% is bigger, adjusted for inflation. The term fixed income is an anachronism. Just used to stir emotions.