Planning for Retirement

Almost without exception, people don't start planning for their retirement early enough in their lives. Young people leaving High School or College and going into their first paid position find it difficult to look or see ahead to age sixty or sixty-five. Still, time marches on and retirement does arrive.

Unfortunately often, it is well into the fourth decade of a person's life that the reality hits - retirement is not only there but it's now visible on the horizon and it's time to do something about it.

The first mistake that people make is in their prediction of what they're going to need once they're not working. Inflation is, of course, unpredictable but high inflation is commonly accompanied by high yields in the stock market which are fed through yields from pension funds so those factors tend to compensate one other.

It's the actual income that's will be needed that is commonly miscalculated. While it's true that daily living expenses such as gas for the commute and dry cleaning bills will likely be reduced, other expenses such as mortgage, taxes and utilities will not.

How can you be sure you will have enough to live comfortably in retirement?

Start by arranging a meeting with your local credit union. Financial specialists can help you develop a savings plan that fits your needs and goals. You will learn about a variety of products and services that are flexible enough to accommodate you whether you are beginning your savings plan at 25 or 45.

What will happen at my retirement planning meeting?

Most importantly, your retirement planner will listen to learn about you and your savings goals. It's a good idea to give them some though and discuss them with a life partner before the meeting. Your planner will also ask you many questions to help clarify your goals and offer the most relevant recommendations. He or she will likely use a software program to help you visualize projected outcomes. Ask questions until you completely understand each plan to make the best choice.

Impending retirement can be worrisome but planning can alleviate some of that worry. Once you start your retirement plan be sure to give an annual check up to monitor your progress and reevaluate your goals. You will likely want to make changes as you age and in response to current market trends.

Nicole Soltau
President and Founder
http://CreditUnionRate.com
The Leading Online Credit Union Directory


AddThis Social Bookmark Button

In The News:


Out of the Dark Ages of Investing
Motley Fool - 7 hours ago
Flash back to 1993, and you may recall that it was a bleak time for individual investors who might have entertained the notion of investing in stocks on ...
15 Years of Success and Community Motley Fool
Educate. Amuse. Enrich. Motley Fool
The Bright and Dark Sides of Progress Motley Fool
all 7 news articles

Reuters

US Investing $250 Billion in Banks
New York Times, United States - 23 hours ago
He essentially told the participants that they would have to accept government investment for the good of the American financial system. ...
7:13 AM EDT, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2008 Federal News Service (subscription)
Bailout a Double-Edged Sword for Community Banks BNET
Solvency Attained but at a Huge Price Sovereign Society
Financial Postall 288 news articles

Investing In A CleanTech Economy, 2008 NJ Clean Energy Conference
GreenBiz, CA - 3 hours ago
This year’s annual conference, “Investing in a CleanTech Economy”, will be held on October 17, 2008 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Jersey City, ...

Much ado about investing in nothing
Seminole Chronicle, FL - 3 hours ago
The topic of the night - complete with a court reporter - was whether the city violated its own investment policy by moving all their money out of the ...
Politician questions investment practices Seminole Chronicle
all 3 news articles

Investing in youth is the right choice
Inland Valley Daily Bulletin, CA - 23 minutes ago
An up-to-date, well-maintained school facility speaks of the community's investment in its youngsters; unfortunately, so does an outdated, poorly maintained ...

Investing in assets abroad
Economic Times, India - 4 minutes ago
The choice of country depends on whether they buy the property as a pure investment, for business operations or as a permanent residence or a holiday home."

Indiana's NewsCenter

Treasurer defends Toll Road investments
Indianapolis Star, United States - 10 hours ago
Mitch Daniels, criticized the state for investing 22 percent of money in the state's Major Moves fund in mortgage giants Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae while ...
Ind.'s Thompson questions state investments Louisville Courier-Journal
Long Thompson Blasts State Investments 93.1 WIBC Indianapolis
Long Thompson Questions Major Moves Investments Inside INdiana Business (press release)
Henderson Gleaner - WTHRall 101 news articles

Editorial: Investing in the places that bring us all together
NRToday.com, OR - 11 hours ago
Roseburg voters next month will decide if theirs are worth an investment when they consider a $5 million bond measure to pay for parks improvements. ...

This Is the New Financial World Order
Motley Fool - 7 hours ago
"Write an article about international investing for the Fool's 15th Anniversary," our editor asked. "Something about how more Americans should be doing it ...

Woelk: Investing long term with Buffs still not bad idea
Daily Camera, CO - 21 hours ago
But if you're looking at a long-term investment, you might want to weather this storm -- just like they have in Missouri, Kansas, Texas Tech and Oklahoma ...
investing - Google News
Your Ad Here

Games at Buy.com

Holiday Home Store at Buy.com

Annuity Investment - The Whole Truth

Do you ever feel like you haven't been told the whole truth? Kind of like something is missing? Well, you are not alone.With many investors awestruck over... Read More

Gold; What Type of Gold to Buy

JewelryThe advantages are:? Gold Jewelry is the easiest of the gold to buy and has the enjoyment of being able to be worn.The disadvantages are:? Retail Jewelry... Read More

Introduction To FOREX

The Foreign Exchange Market, better known as FOREX, is a worldwide market for buying and selling currencies. It handles a huge volume of transactions 24 hours a... Read More

The Real Cost of a Bad Habit

What is the value of a good habit? Think of some daily habits, like brushing your teeth, or buckling a seat belt, or flushing. All of these... Read More

Invest To Make Money, Not To Get Rich

The technology boom of the '90s romanticized the "rags-to-riches" ideal that all of us dream about when investing. For those that invested $1000 in Dell at $5... Read More

Consolidation Period

The economic data reported Fri showed continued above trend growth with disinflation (at the core level, excluding food and energy) in the second quarter. Real output growth... Read More

Short Term Savings Products

When you invest, it simply means that you are putting your funds in products, in this case short-term savings vehicles, which will allow you to reap high... Read More

Dumb Money

Many people have, at one time or another, taken some of their hard-earned funds, and decided to put them in the stock market. These well-meaning individuals either... Read More

Options Made Easy and Investor Education - Simple Enough for a 10 yr Old Kid

How many of you out there think that the market is performing well?How many think the market is performing poorly?And how many feel the markets performance is... Read More

Investing Psychology Today Requires All Traders to Awaken Their Speculator Minds

Stock trading strategies are as rampant today, as they were during the Great Bull Market. Yet, can you truly master the stock market like so many investing... Read More

To Retire Rich, Save and Invest Early

If you want to retire rich, start saving investing early. The most powerful tool when it comes to retiring rich, is compounding your returns on money saved... Read More

What My Horse Had For Breakfast

Let's see, he had some oats, fresh alfalfa and his vitamins. I know from the mixture that is great food and he will win the seventh race... Read More

Why the Rich Keep Getting Richer

Rich people: fortunate, lucky, selfish, and arrogant? Or highly educated, caring, brilliant individuals? Becoming rich isn't hard, but it does require a bit of time and knowledge.... Read More

Can Your Annuity Do This?

Okay, so I can tell you I have sat in front of countless numbers of people who have made mistakes when purchasing and owning annuities. And I... Read More

Love The Thrill of Risk? Invest in an Annuity!

With the stock market in steep decline, people are looking for safe places to invest their savings. Many banks and investment companies are pushing annuities. Annuities offer... Read More

The Switzerland of Asia Shines

In many respects, Singapore is the Switzerland of Asia.Begun in 1819 as a British trading colony, the Republic of Singapore was founded in 1965 under the leadership... Read More

Trading Tips No 7: Developing a Casino Mentality for the Day Trader

I submit that the successful day trader would profit well to adopt a casino mentality. At first glance, this sounds reckless and nothing more than a gambling... Read More

The Differences Betweeen the Wealthy and Everyone Else

I recently received an e-mail from a young lady who had doubts about the principles of wealth found in "Rich Dad, Poor Dad". She mentioned a couple... Read More

Options Education : Opinion versus Fact!

The most basic aspect of trading is learning to differentiate between what is FACTUAL and what is OPINION. If you stay interested in the financial markets long... Read More

Why Do You Want to Become a Online Trader?

Motivational guru Tony Robbins teaches that the reason for doing something rates much higher than the methods you use to get the job done. In order to... Read More

How to Invest Your Money

Think carefully on how to invest your money because if you make wrong decisions it could cost you dearly. There are many ways in which to invest... Read More

It Must Be Joe Cockers Market

Agonizing displays of poor theatrics failed to entertain my mind one recent Saturday evening. I scrolled across several television channels hoping for an engaging program. Finally, one... Read More

5 Ways To Protect Your Bond Portfolio From Rising Interest Rates

The Federal Reserve recently raised its target federal funds rate for the first time since March 2000. This could be just the tip of the iceberg, though,... Read More

Protecting the Tax Advantage of Your Deferred Compensation

The American Jobs Creation Act of 2004 imposed strict new rules on non-qualified deferred compensation plans. Beginning in 2005, deferred compensation programs that are not in compliance... Read More

A Gadfly On A Dinosaurs Butt, Or The Hood-winking Of The American Investor

Have you ever noticed how some words in the English language are so perfectly named for what they describe? And how some words seem to be, I... Read More

The Key Ingredient To Increase Preconstruction Profits By Over $20,000

One of the greatest preconstruction investing issues that I hear from individual investors is that they can't get access to what they believe are good projects. Regardless... Read More