Important AT&T Retirement Plan Updates for 2022-2023

Understanding your AT&T retirement plan will allow you to make informed decisions about your finances before and during your retirement. Of course, the telecommunications company does offer their support and assistance in setting up and maintaining your plan, but ultimately, it’s your responsibility to develop a nuanced understanding of the terms and conditions so that you can plan and manage your wealth appropriately. And while you can certainly seek your employer’s counsel, finding a financial advisor specializing in AT&T retirement plans will allow you to rest assured that you’re not missing or misinterpreting any of the fine print. After all, according to the Employee Benefit Research Bureau, retirees in the United States have claimed that financial advisors are their top retirement planning resources, more so than family & friends or even their employers.

2022-2023 Updates for AT&T Retirement Plans

The wealth managers and financial advisors at Merit Financial Advisors not only specialize in AT&T retirement plans, but they are committed to communicating any updates or changes regarding their clients’ benefits as well.

PRE 65 Health Insurance

2022 is the first year that anyone who retires from AT&T in 2022 or beyond no longer qualifies for PRE 65 Retiree Health Insurance. Due to this change, we must explore all available options. The three most common options are to:

1. Stay with AT&T health plans at unsubsidized rates – This might be a great choice if you only need coverage for a short time and want to keep the same doctors and coverage
2. Go to another group health plan, whether from a previous employer or spouse’s coverage – This might be a good choice if you need health insurance for an extended period
3. Get health insurance through the Healthcare Marketplace – This might be a good option if you can qualify for a premium tax credit or have no other options.

POST 65 Health Insurance

The benefits have also changed for someone that retires now or in the future, where they can get a benefit through AT&T for Medicare.  AT&T is no longer offering the HRA reimbursement plan for new retirees. Instead, they have switched and now offer a specific AT&T retiree Advantage plan.  For those that qualify, it’s worth looking. If you need assistance, feel free to talk with us at Merit Financial Advisors about the details.

Pension and Interest Rates

The last significant change occurring this year is the potential negative impact rising interest rates are expected to have on certain pensions starting in 2023. The first step is identifying if your pension will be impacted, as not all will. Then calculate by how much. We have been running simulations for your peers all year long. If you would like to spend some time on your particular pension, please reach out to us at Merit Financial Advisors.

401k

It has been an unusual year to be an investor and particularly difficult. It’s rare to witness both stocks and bonds going down together. Because of this rare occurrence, 2022 is setting up to be one of the most challenging years for balanced portfolios. But instead of using the head-in-the-sand approach let’s look at one where we assign “Purpose” to every dollar in our 401k.

It’s easy to let our emotions drive our investment decisions rather than reason. But if we assign “Purpose” to each dollar in our 401ks, then we can have a plan to weather these storms. We know the strategy right now is to buy low and sell high, but how do you do that if you are in retirement or getting close? The best way to determine this is to ask yourself; what money do I expect to need from my 401k in a short period of time? Those dollars should be invested in safe investments like your Stable Value. Another question to ask yourself is; what money might I not need for an extended period of time, such as 10+ years? Knowing the answer, you may be able to take a risk and ride out the storm in stocks with those investments. Once you construct and assign purpose to each dollar, it’s easier to emotionally get through these tough times because you have a plan.

Schedule an Appointment with an AT&T Retirement Plan Administrator Today

Meet with a wealth management expert in the telecommunications industry today by contacting Merit Financial Advisors.

This material was created for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as ERISA, tax, legal or investment advice. If you are seeking investment advice specific to your needs, such advice services must be obtained on your own separate from this educational material.