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Planning for Retirement

How to save and invest for your best life

Retirement Planning Basics

Retirement planning is about planning for your financial future – and it starts as soon as you start your career. If you want the retirement you envision in your 20s, 30s or 40s, it’s a goal you commit to through your peak earning years and beyond. The good news is, each life milestone brings opportunities to build the wealth you’ll need in retirement. But to get there, you need a plan. Start here.

Retirement Planning FAQs

Many people buy their first home and start a family in their 30s, and those become new priorities. Resist the temptation to “save for retirement later.” Remember that these are your prime earning years, so keep up your contributions to a retirement fund even if you have to scale back. If you haven’t already, open an IRA account. You’ll appreciate the tax-free withdrawals in retirement.

Start by putting some stakes in the ground. Ask yourself a few basic questions and answer them as honestly and accurately as you can. When do I want to retire? Where do I want to live? What kind of lifestyle do I want to have? Once you have that mental image, start ballparking income and expenses. Be sure to consider variables like longer lifespans, higher healthcare costs and inflation.

This is the decade to get serious. Home in on exactly what you’ll need to live the retirement you envision and accelerate your retirement savings if you can. This is also a good time to review your investment allocation with a financial planner and adjust as needed.

This is the time to fine-tune the forecasts you made in your 40s. Revisit your financial priorities and set deadlines. Reallocate your portfolio to include more low-risk investments. Pay down your mortgage and credit card debt. Decrease lifestyle costs and increase contributions to your health savings account.

Set aside a portion of your paycheck in a CD or high-yield savings account that’s earmarked for retirement. If your employer offers a 401(k) or other retirement benefit, take advantage of it. If they offer matching contributions, maximize yours to make sure you qualify.