The word “retirement” is an interesting word. It is one that makes people smile when they think about when they can finally relax and not work so hard. But at the same time, many people are nervous about how to plan for it. This article will take some of that fear away. Read on!
What will your expenses be post-retirement? Studies show that the average American requires at least 75 percent of their normal income to survive during retirement: that’s 75 percent of the salary that you are earning right now. Lower-income earners may need as much as 90 percent.
An obvious tip in regards to retiring is to make sure you start saving for your retirement. A lot of people make the mistake of not saving for their retirement and then find themselves in a bit of a pickle because they don’t have adequate funds available to them when they’re older.
Start saving as early as you can, and keep saving until you’re old enough to retire. Even if you cannot contribute a lot, something is better than nothing. When you make more money, you can increase the amount you save. When your money resides in an account that pays interest, your money has the chance to grow to provide you with extra money later on.
Catch up on all of the credit cards that you have outstanding. This is important as it will reduce the amount of interest that you will pay over time, which you could be putting into a retirement account. Take care of the larger credit cards first and work your way down.
Contribute at least as much to your 401K as your employer will match. You can put away money before tax is taken off it when you invest in a 401k. If you have an employer that matches what you contribute, you’re basically getting free cash.
Stick to a strict budget as you enter retirement, in order to keep your financial house in order. Even slight variations can destroy all the plans you’ve laid out for the golden years, because nothing is getting cheaper. Consult with a financial adviser if necessary, but make sure you adhere to a wise plan with money.
If you don’t know where to start saving for retirement, check with your employer. Many employers offer not only a 401k savings plan, but also contribute matching funds. Regardless of how much of your income you should save, save at least the amount to get the full match. Never leave free money on the table.
Be careful when assuming how much Social Security you might get in retirement. The program will survive in some form, but you might see raised retirement ages and reduced benefits for higher earners. If at all possible, plan on saving up your entire retirement on your own, so that any Social Security funds are a bonus.
You can automate your savings! Most things today can be automated and your retirement savings are the same way. Automated options help you make those investments when you just seem to forget. This will allow your nest egg to start growing without you wasting any time thinking about it. This is a great idea for any smart saver.
If you are already planning for your retirement, you should know what your retirement needs are. Most experts estimate you will need at least 90% of your income (pre-retirement) in order to keep your standard of living once you retire. So by starting to save early, you will have more time for your money to grow.
If you’ve always wanted to be more politically active in life, but simply never had the time, do so in your golden years. The 65+ voting group has become quite a force, and you could have fun expressing your political opinions. Look online or sign up for a local group, and let your voice finally be heard!
Make sure that you look into your employer’s retirement savings plan. Do some research, and figure out what sort of plans are available to you. Determine what sort of benefits there are for using the savings plan. Contribute what you can to it, and start saving for retirement as early as possible.
Think about teaching or consulting during your retirement. Since you’ll have a nest egg set up, you won’t really need full time income year round. Instead, you can teach classes or do freelance advising to clients when it suits you. You’ll have freedom of schedule and still be bringing in some money.
Retirement needs to be a time of fun for you. And you can make planning for it fun as well, as long as you use the advice here to make it easier. Just keep this article and look back on it when you need to, in order to stick with your goals.
