23 Nov Save Money for Retirement – The Smart Way
Do you often find yourself longing for the day when you no longer have to work and can finally begin your retirement? While retirement may seem ages away, don’t you want to ensure that you are prepared financially when it does come around? According to the United States Department of Labor, fewer than half of Americans today have calculated how much money they need to save for their retirement. Are you a part of this statistic? Now is the time to be proactive about your savings to ensure that you will have a comfortable and happy future.
Start Saving Early
The earlier you start saving up your money for retirement, the more time it will have to grow and generate interest. An ideal time to begin saving for retirement is in your twenties. This will start you off on the right track earlier than most of your peers. While there are likely many other things demanding your attention in your twenties more so than your retirement savings, always remember that any contribution to your savings is a good contribution, no matter how small.
Understand Your Employer’s Plan
Employers offer different retirement plans depending on a number of factors, so it is important to become familiar with the specific plan that your employer offers. The most popular retirement savings plans are an IRA (Individual Retirement Account) and a 401(k) plan. Some employers offer 401(k) contribution-matching programs, meaning that your employer will match your own contributions to your retirement savings. There are a variety of matching programs, so do not hesitate to ask what benefits your employer offers. Participating in these programs proves to be beneficial in the long run and the incoming contributions to your savings will only gain interest over time.
Don’t Dip into Your Savings
If you withdrawal your retirement savings too early, you can miss out on a lot of positive gains – think interest and tax benefits. You can also face withdrawal penalties as a result of taking out your money too early. If you switch jobs or employers, do not feel compelled to withdraw your savings. Talk to a local Bank of the Lowcountry banker about exploring other options such as rolling your savings over into an IRA or adjusting to another savings plan at your new workplace. There is always a solution or adjustment that can be made to your plan, so do not feel rushed or pressured to withdrawal your savings too early.
Like preparing for all monumental life events, saving up for retirement is no easy feat. These simple tips can help make saving more approachable and attainable. Also, don’t forget that after you finally begin enjoying retired life, it is important to create a budget to ensure that you won’t spend your hard-earned money too quickly. Making a budget (and more importantly-sticking to it) will help ensure that you have enough money to do all of the things you want to do.
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