Plan Retirement Now!

Do you consider yourself either too young or too broke to start planning your retirement? Think again.

The fact of the matter is that you can never start planning your retirement too early, and very few of us ever have what we would consider to be “extra” cash on hand. We always can find something to buy –whether it’s a fancy wardrobe, or a flashy new TV- but we seldom think in terms of saving our money. And that, of course, is exactly where our attention should be.

The way to snap out of the “not me, not now” mindset is to set a certain amount of every paycheck aside in savings automatically – no intervention required, or allowed. This also makes saving very convenient for you. If you have a set amount direct deposited to a savings account or investment option each month, you will get used to living without it, and not miss it. If your work doesn’t offer a 401(k) plan, visit your local credit union to explore your automatic investment options. If you get a raise, plan to ratchet up your savings accordingly, to provide for your future in the most prudent and sensible way possible.  ■