4 Tips For Planning Your Retirement

19 February 2015
 Categories: , Blog

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Who doesn't want to relax and enjoy life after working for decades? If you do, you aren't alone. Most people go to work day-after-day dreaming of the day when retirement finally arrives. It is important to begin early in planning this day if you want to quit work sooner, rather than later. Knowing specific tips that can help you achieve this goal is ideal at any age.

Tip #1:  Set goals

It is important to have a realistic plan in place to help you reach goals that you set. For example, this may include putting back at least 10% of your income each month. Studies show this is an ideal amount that can typically be achieved by most wage earners.

Tip #2: Invest in a 401K

Your employer may offer a retirement plan for you that can help you reach your goals quicker. Many companies have a 401K plan in place that allows you and your employer to make contributions.

The good news for you is that your employer will typically contribute a certain percentage to this account that is based on your salary.

Tip #3: Create a diversified portfolio

In order to make the best investment choices, it is ideal to put your money in a number of places to help you avoid or recover from huge losses if the market drops.

Listed below are ideal ways to diversify your portfolio:

1. Stocks – This is a higher risk investment, but you will see a much higher rate of return on your money.  Talk to your financial adviser about the percentage of your portfolio that should contain stocks.

2. Mutual Funds – Investing in mutual funds is an ideal way to watch your money grow for retirement. These are lucrative because a number of investors are part of each fund, and this can decrease your chances of losing money.

3. Bonds – This is a low-risk investment that typically only has a small amount of return. However, it is ideal to invest a small percentage of your money into bonds.

Tip #4: Get an IRA

If you want to decrease the amount of your income taxes significantly, you should consider getting an individual retirement account (IRA). You can put a certain amount of money into it each year and deduct this amount from your gross income for huge savings.

It is possible you may be able to retire early and comfortably. Be sure to work with a financial planner from a company like Duff & Associates who can assist you in creating a plan that can help you do so.