Saving for Retirement - Why Planning Your Retirement Now Is Necessary
Saving for retirement is often looked upon as a burden, but once you reach the age of retirement it quickly
becomes a blessing. Looking for ways to keep your lifestyle in retirement can be difficult to navigate.
Pension and compensation packages offered by companies that gave a percentage of the employee's salary is
something that people used to be able to count on. Along with Social Security benefits, that would be enough
to cover the cost of living. Unfortunately neither of those options is any longer a viable lone income for
retirees.
Today, it's up to the individual to provide a way to create a comfortable retirement and make sure their
assets and income are handled properly. Learning how to save effectively can be a difficult thing to
achieve. Finding a certified financial planner is a great step in the right direction, and other steps
toward this process can also make sure you have a fun and relaxing future after your working life ends.
Making a Plan
Starting to save for retirement means looking at how much it costs you to maintain your assets and
lifestyle. The U.S. Department of Labor recommends that you start by determining your net worth (the total
value of your assets minus the value of your debts). You'll want to create a nest egg that can continuously
deliver what you need to sustain items like your house, car, property, and any other expense you currently
have and plan to carry over into your retirement. Having this income after you stop working is an important
part of your retirement plan.
Among the most popular are the 401(k) and the IRA (individual retirement account). The Roth IRA is a plan in
which savings are taxed when contributed. So while taxes are taken up front and you have less to invest now,
in the long run it could potentially be losing you less money.
Saving Money Now
When creating a retirement plan you need to look at your current budget and put together your expenses and
income. If a significant portion of your monthly income is being spent on credit card debt, take an
aggressive approach toward paying it off. While being proactive toward debt to make sure you don't have any
toward retirement, do not spend what you've been saving. Cutting every expense you have is not something
that you would absolutely need to do, either. Start making coffee at home a few times a week instead of
going to your local coffee house. Cutting small things here and there can add up after time and make long
strides to achieving a balanced budget. Pretend that the money that you save doesn't exist until after
retirement. Staying out of your savings account is the best way to ensure it stays healthy until you need
it.
Managing Loans
If you're a home owner then you have both a huge debt and a valuable asset. It's always a good idea to keep
an eye on interest rates. If they begin to fall from what you currently are paying, considering financing
your mortgage to get a lower rate. The extra money that you were using to pay off your mortgage with the
higher rate can now go toward your retirement savings or paying off other outstanding debts you may have in
order to get rid of them before you retire. Since credit cards almost always having a higher interest rate
than a home mortgage, it may be a good idea to use the extra money you saved from refinancing to pay off
your credit cards. Paying off your mortgage before retirement is one of the best things you can do with it.
The recurring monthly expense of paying a home mortgage will result in an instant and quite large increase
in your income, which is something that will come in handy when you stop working.
Retirement Research Group is dedicated to helping plan sponsors and businesses connect with the right
financial and retirement advisors to achieve their goals.