Preparing for retirement is one of the most important financial decisions you can make. Having money set aside for when you are older is essential if you want to have a good life, and the more you learn about retirement, the easier this will be to achieve.
But how do you actually go about securing your financial future and preparing for retirement? That’s the big question.
Fortunately, we have some answers for you.
Start Early
The first step is to start early and make sure you plan for retirement many years in advance. Leaving it to the last minute will make your job much harder because you won’t be leaving time for interest to compound.
It’s worth noting that even small contributions make a massive difference over the long term. Putting away $100 a month in your twenties can help you amass a fortune in your seventies.
Of course, if you’ve waited longer than that, then there’s still hope and time. Just make sure you start now instead of putting it off to the future.
Calculate What You Need
Another strategy for retirement is to calculate what you actually need. Figuring out what your income should be makes it easier to plan housing, healthcare and expenses.
Many retirees are surprised to find out how little income they require during retirement. However, having a little extra gives you more freedom and lets you live life on your terms.
Again, be generous with what you require. Think carefully about what your future self will want and whether it’s worth giving up money today to furnish you with a better life later on.
Diversify Your Investments
Another pro tip is to diversify your investments instead of putting all your eggs in one basket. The more investment types you can make, the lower the risk you’ll face. It might be very worthwhile to consider a Warren Buffet style two fund portfolio where you spread your risk.
With that said, there are some ways of diversifying your investments that are better than others. The best schemes in turbulent times are those that split between bonds, stocks, gold, and commodities. You want a small number of investments in the latter, and more in the former.
While bonds might seem like a dull investment with lower expected returns, they have been a staple of retirement savings for many years. These instruments pay a reliable return and often go through boom cycles which seems the amount of money they pay increases tremendously.
You might also want to allocate a portion of your wealth to investing in cryptocurrency with superannuation. These schemes help to diversify your portfolio even more with uncorrelated assets.
Use An Employer Plan
If you have an employer, also consider using their plans. Contribute to schemes like your 401(k) to get more money over a shorter period invested.
If your employer says that it will match your contribution, take advantage of that offer. You can often build your retirement savings significantly faster using this option than trying to invest outside of such schemes.
Plan Your Healthcare
You should also spend some time planning and researching your healthcare retirement options. While you might believe your health will remain good indefinitely, that is unlikely statistically.
Think about the type of care you want to receive and what would be acceptable to you. Ask what specific insurance you might require.
Set Goals
Another pro tip for securing your future and saving for retirement is to set goals. The more you invest, the more time your money has to grow. Even seemingly small contributions can grow tremendously over the long term.
The goals you set should be short-term and long-term. In the short term, you want to pick a number that will dictate how much you will save every week or month.
In the long term, you should consider how much money you need and what a successful retirement looks like to you. Take inflation into account when making any calculations, remembering that the real value of fixed incomes declines significantly over time.
Reduce Your Debt
Those saving for retirement should also find ways to reduce their debt, particularly if it carries a high interest rate. Debts can reduce your ability to save for retirement significantly because of the interest payments you need to make.
Mortgage debt is acceptable (most of the time) because it supports your ownership of an asset that’s rising in value, like property. But credit card and personal loan debt is more insidious and can lead to higher fees, bills and payments.
Downsize
Finally, you might consider downsizing to prepare for retirement. Smaller homes are cheaper to run. You can use any extra income to invest in securities of your choice.
