Nowadays, retirement planning seems to be something only seniors should worry about, but that’s not the truth. According to a recent survey, 82% of working Americans believe it will be more difficult for them to achieve financial security than their parents. While many Americans over the age of 66 depend on Social Security benefits to ensure funding, this may not be an option for those who will be retiring for another 15 or 20 decades. For this reason, it is essential to consider the steps necessary to plan for retirement now. Of course, it’s almost always a good idea to meet with a financial advisor to develop a retirement plan that is beneficial to your situation, but in the meantime, here are some tips on how to start preparing for retirement now.
Set Your Goals
The investment strategy or amount you need to live comfortably, imagine what you want your life to look like once you retire. You should write down where you can end up living, what you can do, and how long you want to achieve this goal. Do you want to spend your free time traveling the world? The total can be a bit intimidating, but it’s much better to be realistic about your goals. It will determine how aggressively you want to maintain your investment and savings strategies.
Start Earlier
Most of us have probably heard this from young children, educators, and older colleagues, but if you start saving when you’re in your 20s, it will have a significant impact on how much you will likely be saving later in life. But don’t worry if you’re in your 30s or 40s and haven’t started yet. There’s still time to start investing, but the earlier you start, the better. Some people think that their standard of living may decrease in retirement, but that’s not necessarily the case. The earlier you start, the better your chances of improving your standard of living in retirement.
Open a 401k and IRA
This would be the simplest way to get your nest egg going. It is potentially free money for you. Another great thing about traditional 401k applications, at least in the beginning, is the money is taken out of your paycheck, which means you save on taxes while saving your future. You’ll want to pay taxes when you withdraw money from your traditional 401k (it differs for Roth accounts, which are a little less common), but for many people, income drops off after retirement, which means you won’t owe as much in taxes as you did when you were working full-time. If your employer doesn’t offer a 401k plan, setting up an IRA is still a great way to save. While you don’t have the guaranteed contributions that are often offered with a 401k plan, you’ll generally be charged the same tax base as a traditional IRA. If you have the method, you can start an IRA and a 401k to maximize your savings.
Prepare an Emergency Fund
The downside of retirement applications is that using a savings account with three or more months of income can be very helpful in terms of unexpected expenses. Another incentive is the elimination of the need for debt. If an extensive car repair is needed or an unexpected medical bill arises, using an emergency fund could be reassuring and practical. Saving for your future doesn’t have to be a painful process. Just limit yourself to the minimum, start with what you can in a traditional savings account and take as much as you can to avoid diving into it.