Monday, August 25, 2008

To Save For Retirement

Category: Finance, Financial Planning.

When developing a budget or financial goals it can be tricky to figure out how far in advance you should plan.



Conversely if you think too far out, you could be putting some of that money you re tucking away for your savings to better use. If you re too short- sighted you could wind up with savings that don t meet your needs. Here s how to figure it all out: What are your financial goals? They might be goals like: To save for my child s college education. List your financial goals on a piece of paper. To save for retirement.


To buy a new car or house. To save money for emergencies. Once your financial goals have been listed, here are a few calculations you can make to know how much to save. Figure out how much you have to set aside for this emergency fund after your current expenses, and create a goal. Emergency fund: Experts advice people to set aside at least three to six months of cash or liquid assets( investments you can easily convert to cash) in the event of a loss of job, short, medical emergency- term disability, etc. If you make$ 3000/ month then you ll want to set aside a minimum of$ 900This doesn t mean you have to save it all tomorrow- begin saving for it and create a plan.


Debt: Most experts agree that your total monthly debt payments shouldn t exceed 36% of your gross monthly income. Maybe you ll be able to save that much in a year, maybe it ll take two. This debt includes your mortgage, car payments and credit card debt. If you re above this ration, create a plan to get your debt down quickly. Add up your debt and calculate your monthly gross income to see where you are. Savings: You ve probably heard the rule that you need to save 10% of your income. Use this 10% rule with your other savings goals including your emergency account, college education or other goals.


This rule is a good rule to follow, assuming you are placing additional money into a retirement account. Retirement: Experts tell us that our retirement income should be 75- 80% of pre retirement income. A little basic planning and goal setting will make the process understandable and manageable. This means if you re making$ 50, 000 right now, your retirement income will need to be$ 37, 50 Using these numbers will help you determine exactly how much you need to save, how much you have to work with, and how long it will take you to save the money. The numbers presented here, are just that, and the guidelines- guidelines. This is why it is important to set financial goals and to save with a purpose.


Your budget and financial plan needs to meet your needs and the needs of your family.

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