Five Steps to a Smooth Retirement

Whether you want to spend your retirement volunteering in the community, running your own business or relaxing on a beach in Fiji, follow these steps to increase your chances of reaching your goal.

1. Learn From the Pros.

We bring the experts to you each month with our retirement webinar series—covering everything from ditching debt to retiring with confidence. New webinars are added all the time, so watch for updates online or in For Your Benefit. And be sure to check out the webinars offered this month.

  • 5 Ways to Fit Investing Into Your Busy Life—June 21 and 22. In a webinar geared toward women, personal finance journalist Jean Chatzky shows you how to map out your goals, choose investments, get organized and stay on track. Register now to attend on June 21 (noon Central time) or June 22 (2 p.m. Central time).
  • Shifting From Saving to Spending—June 29. Approaching retirement? Attend this webinar to revisit common income strategies and establish your withdrawal strategy. Space is limited, so register now to attend on June 29 (11 a.m. Central time). (You have to log in to the Fidelity website to register.)

2. Get Expert Advice.

This month Financial Engines®, an independent investment advisor, will send your annual Retirement Evaluation, a personalized analysis of how you’re saving and investing in the 401(k) plan. If that evaluation shows you could be doing better, consider expert guidance from Financial Engines:

  • Online Advice. Get unlimited access to powerful retirement tools that can help you adjust your strategy on your own.
  • Professional Management. For a fee, experts can create and implement a retirement planning strategy for you and continually monitor and rebalance your account so you stay on track.

To learn more, sign up for Financial Engine’s webinar “Helping You Retire With Confidence.” You’ll learn how savings and investment models work, the importance of a balanced portfolio and how Online Advice and Professional Management can help address deficiencies in your savings and investments. The webinar will be offered four times—at noon and 3 p.m. Central time on July 12 and July 14.

3. Max Your Savings.

Let’s face it. You need to save a lot of money for retirement. Rockwell Automation offers you tax-free ways to save and contributes to help your savings grow. To make the biggest difference, be sure you’re participating and contributing as much as you can.

  • Rockwell Automation Retirement Savings Plan. This is a no-brainer. If you’re not already taking advantage of our 401(k) Plan and getting the maximum company contributions, you’re saying goodbye to free money. To increase your Savings Plan contributions, visit Fidelity’s website (401k.com) or call the Rockwell Automation Service Center at Fidelity at 1.877.765.4015 (1.877.ROK.401K).
  • Health Savings Account (HSA). If you’re enrolled in the HSA medical option, you can also use your HSA to supplement your savings.

4. Use the Tools.

Are you thinking about retiring in the next three to five years? These tools will help you as you plan for your retirement:

  • The Retirement Process Timeline Tool. Enter your retirement date, and the tool automatically tells you what you need to do—and by when—so you don’t miss a deadline. Simply click on a time period and you’ll get easy-to-follow instructions and tips. You’ll also learn when your retirement benefits will start and which resources are available to you.
  • The Go-To Guide for a Hassle-Free Retirement. Review your retirement options—including retiree medical benefits—and see what you need to know and do before you retire.

5. Talk With a Retirement Specialist.

Counting the days until retirement? Have questions about your retirement benefits? Ask a Rockwell Automation retirement specialist. They can help you understand:

  • How to pick a retirement date that maximizes the benefits you’ll receive from Rockwell Automation
  • What your Rockwell Automation Pension Plan and retiree medical benefit options are (if you’re eligible)
  • The forms and information you’ll receive in the mail about your retirement benefits
  • How to begin your Social Security and Medicare benefits
  • What action steps you need to take and when

They can even help you complete paperwork and make elections for the Pension Plan and retiree medical (if you’re eligible) by phone. To reach a specialist, call the Rockwell Automation Service Center at 1.877.OUR.RASC (1.877.687.7272) and say “retirement” when prompted. Specialists are available Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Central time.