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Retirement Planning
Welcome to the Retirement Planning section. Here you’ll find easy steps and resources to planning the future you want, whatever that may look like.
Why Plan for your Future?
Don’t leave your future to chance. You can’t get where you are going without a roadmap. Fortunately it only takes a few hours per year to plan for the life you want. Read on for more about retirement planning.
We get it: the traditional idea of retirement may not appeal to you. Whatever your vision of your future, it’s not so much about “retirement” as it is about planning for your future.
Really what you’re after is choice, right?. Wouldn’t it be best to know that at some particular age, you’ll have enough to replace your income going forward? Then, you can have the freedom to make the choice to retire, to continue working, or maybe start a new career. Or travel, or become the Guinness world record holder for lawn bowling, or base jumping… whatever does it for you.
The thing is, you HAVE to plan. Because like it or not, you may not have the choice to keep working.
This is not under our control: while we may want to continue working, oftentimes circumstances don’t allow us to. Maybe due to health we can’t keep working, this happens with many people who end up having to retire far earlier than planned. Or we get laid off and can’t find another job that we like.
This is very common. A recent study showed 60% of retirees ended up leaving the workforce earlier than they planned due to all these reasons.
So, you can’t afford to think that you will defy the odds. None of us can.
Studies show Americans spend more time planning where to go on vacation than planning how to finance their future. So there’s no surprise most people don’t end up where they want to be. In fact, studies now show that the number one regret of retired Americans is not saving enough money. That’s even more common than wishing they’d done better with personal relationships and other common deeply personal regrets. So let’s learn from them: the head-in-the-sand approach DOES NOT WORK. We must take action, plan, and then follow the plan.
So, we need to take time to make a plan. It doesn’t take long and in fact with saving for the future, TIME is our greatest ally. So starting is the most important thing. See how in our Easy Steps section.
Your Retirement Roadmap
Short on time? Start with a quick overview.
START TODAY!
YOUR 20s
YOUR 30s
YOUR 40s
YOUR 50s
YOUR 60s
YOUR 70s
ANYTIME
START TODAY!
Whatever you do, start today!
- Your future is too important to leave to chance
- The key to a better future is to plan, and you’ll learn what to do in our Easy Steps section
- In the meantime here are quick tips to get you going
- And some tips unique to certain time frames
YOUR 20s
If you’re in your 20’s:
- Learn about the power of compounding; anything you contribute now will work hard for you!
- Be sure to sign up for the company retirement plan first thing and have a percentage of your salary automatically contributed (ideally, 15% or more).
- Sign up for annual automatic increases, too.
YOUR 30s
If you’re in your 30’s:
Put some or all of raises or bonuses into your retirement plan if possible. You’ll save taxes now and more importantly get time working for you sooner rather than later.
- As your earnings increase, create some additional savings if you can, either using a Health Savings Account or an IRA if you are eligible, and/or a taxable investment account.
YOUR 40s
If you’re in your 40’s:
- These are usually peak earning years, so raises and bonuses should be invested when possible, in retirement accounts or taxable accounts after you max out.
- This is also a good time for a financial check-in to make sure you are on track to meet your long term financial goals.
YOUR 50s
If you’re in your 50’s:
- You will become eligible to add “catch-up” contributions to your retirement accounts. So you can usually contribute more each year. Take advantage… you still have years ahead to get the benefit of compounding.
At Age 59½: You can now take penalty-free distributions from your retirement plans and IRAs, if you need to. If you’re still working, best to keep funds invested and earning for you. For all but Roth accounts, you will still owe taxes on withdrawals.
YOUR 60s
If you’re in your 60’s:
Age 62: You are technically eligible for social security benefits now, but consider waiting. If you take it now you will permanently get a lower rate. By waiting a handful more years, you can increase the amount you get 25% or more.
Age 65 to 67: You can start collecting full social security benefits depending upon the year you were born. Once you hit this full retirement age, you can also earn as much as you want without losing out on some of your social security benefits.
YOUR 70s
If you’re in your 70’s:
Age 70: If you haven’t signed up yet, you should apply for social security benefits, even if you’re still working. You won’t earn any less by waiting any longer.
Age 70½: It’s now time to take the required minimum distributions from your retirement accounts each year (for all but Roth IRAs, which don’t have this requirement).
Be sure you take this for all of your accounts, as the penalty is 50% on anything you don’t take.
ANYTIME
Anytime:
- Harness the power of time by acting now, even if it’s saving just a bit more to start. Get that money invested so it starts working for you.
- Whatever you do, make sure you get the full employer match every year.
- Those who create and follow a plan do better, so work with a planner or create your own and stick to it.
- Always know the fees you are paying in your retirement accounts. If there are lower fee options available, consider switching.
“Too many people spend money they haven’t earned, to buy things they don’t want, to impress people they don’t like.”
–Will Rogers
Easy Retirement Planning Steps
Planning for your future doesn’t have to be an insurmountable task. Follow these easy steps today to get started toward a future you can look forward to with confidence.
Learn More about Retirement Planning
Looking to dive in further? Find helpful, easy resources to learn more here.
- Learn what you need to know about Retirement Plans and avoid losing out on free money that may be available to you
- Learn about what IRAs and Roth IRAs can do for you
- Find out how to make Social Security work for you and avoid the expensive mistake that many make
- and more . . .
All information provided on myfwcenter.com is general in nature and not tailored to you. It should not be considered individualized advice.
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