Retirement Planning Services – Winnetka, Illinois
For anyone in "Generation X" - defined as individuals born between the mid-1960s and the early 1980s - retirement planning may sound like something your parents or other "old people" might do. But you know what? With many "baby boomers" either already in the midst of retirement or observing it in the near future, "Generation X" will be the next generation of folks to reach retirement. Sure, it's still a ways off, but people in their 30s and 40s should begin centering their investment planning on retirement and making sure they've got the sort of retirement they are working so hard to enjoy. Here are some tips on planning for retirement:
Retirement life in the future will be different than the retirement right now. It'll be much better in some ways, and worse somewhat. But, the retirement planning for today's workforce needs to be far different than it was in yesteryear.
On the bright side, individuals are living longer than ever. As of a short while ago, the average life span of an American was 77.9 years, exactly 2.5 years greater than the average life span in 1990 and more than four years more than the average life span in 1980. So investment planning for retirement has to account for a longer time of time right now than a generation or two in the past.
Social Security and Retiring - Winnetka, Illinois
On the down side, Social Security is going to be a far less reliable income source compared to now. And also the odds are slim-and getting slimmer each year-that retirees 20 and 30 years from right now will be able to rely on a work pension and enjoy lifetime benefits from their former workplace. More and more, retired persons will need to rely on their savings to pay for the costs of just living and health insurance.
With individuals living for a longer time and needing more money to do so, retirement planning is a vital activity even for those people who are half way to the common retirement age of 65. It may be an intimidating task to plan for a few decades into the future, particularly with bills, housing costs and mortgages to pay today, but procrastinating won't make it any easier.
Placing even just a little bit of cash into a savings account that serves as a retirement savings plan can pay off later on. The interest you get on money in a savings account will allow your initial investments to grow to something sustainable. A savings account will give you a place where you can acquire capital earning a small interest rate until there is enough to invest in a trusted security that will yield you more like a municipal bond.
Another solid approach which could surely and steadily build a nest egg is to put money into long-term bonds. Upon maturation of the bond, you will get back your initial investment as well as all the interest that collected over the lifetime of the bond. This is a significant amount of money for a 20- or 30-year bond-money which could provide a great foundation for retirement. And a municipal or government bond is as safe an investment as you can ever make.
401K and IRA With Retirement - Winnetka, Illinois
However, the best approach when it comes to retirement planning is to put funds in a 401K plan at your workplace or in an IRA opened with an investment house. For those for whom a 401K isn't a retirement planning choice, an IRA is the next best thing. Money placed in this account is tax deferred and might be tax-deductible, depending on how much is invested every year.
For more information, please don't hesitate to contact GC Financial Advisors Ltd. at any time and we will be happy to help you! We offer 401K and IRA rollover and review services for folks in the Winnetka, Illinois area.