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Retirement And What You Can Expect From It
Your retirement should be a time of fun and excitement. You should have the time to pursue personal passions, travel, socialize and spend time with the grandkids. It’s not a time to fret over money. Use the ideas and tips that follow in this article in both creating your retirement and enjoying it.
Determine your exact retirement costs. 70% of your current income per year is a good ballpark figure to aim for. If you make less money, you may need 90%.
When you plan to retire, save some money ahead of time. Set aside those savings for just your goals. Create a retirement plan, figure out how to accomplish it, and stay with it. Try starting small and increasing your savings as much as you can a month to reach those goals.
Prepare yourself mentally for retirement, because the change can hit you really hard. While you might be looking forward to all that rest and relaxation, many people become depressed when they stop working. Schedule yourself some useful activities, and do things that keep you feeling like you’ve got a concrete purpose in life.
Most people look forward to their retirement, especially after they have been working for several years. They believe retirement will be a wonderful time when they can do things they could not during their working years. While this is somewhat true, it takes careful planning to live the retired life you had planned.
If your employer offers a retirement plan, invest in it. Many employers offer a matching plan which increases your savings, so make sure you invest at least up to the matching amount. In addition to saving for retirement, a 401k plan will help lower your income taxes every year.
Don’t be afraid to ask questions
Unfortunately, the problem many people face today is simply not knowing enough about their retirement options to make a decision. Ask friends, family, and coworkers about their retirement plans and your available options. You’ll be surprised to learn that there is a world of possibilities waiting for you.
Once you retire, you will have more free time. Use this time to get fit. You have to keep yourself healthy to ensure your medical costs don’t go up. Work out daily and have fun!
You can automate your savings! Most things today can be automated and your retirement savings are the same way. Automated options help you make those investments when you just seem to forget. This will allow your nest egg to start growing without you wasting any time thinking about it. This is a great idea for any smart saver.
If you’ve always wanted to be more politically active in life, but simply never had the time, do so in your golden years. The 65+ voting group has become quite a force, and you could have fun expressing your political opinions. Look online or sign up for a local group, and let your voice finally be heard!
Make as many contributions to your 401K as possible. First, of course, you need to find out if your company offers a 401K plan. If they do, then this should be your primary saving concern. Not only will they offer smaller taxes, but they often match your investments if they meet the requirements.
Don’t burn any bridges in your career as you face retirement, because situations can change quickly! While it may feel good to tell your boss how you’ve really felt about him all these years, you may need to go back to work part-time and will want good references. Think first before you sign-off on opportunities.
Seek out friends that are retired, too
It can be lots of fun to socialize with others who have quit working. You will be able to do things with folks that share things in common. You all can also support each other when need be.
A good retirement is filled with joy, love and time with others. It should not be about sitting at the kitchen table with a pile of bills and not enough money to pay them. Use every idea this article gave you that you did not know before to both establish a retirement free from money worries and then make sure you keep it that way.
