Many people assume they can hold off saving for retirement and make up the difference later. But this can be a costly mistake. Waiting too long to start saving can make it very difficult to catch up, and only a few years can make a big difference in how much you will accumulate. This does not mean that there is no hope if you have not set aside anything for retirement yet. It just makes it all the more important that you implement a plan today.
Start saving now
Start saving as much as you can, as soon as you can. The earlier you start, the longer compounding interest can work for you. For example, a 20 year old who saves $200 a month until age 65 and earns exactly 6% on saved funds annually would have accumulated around $550,000. But a 40 year old contributing the same amount each month at the same earnings rate would have accumulated only $138,600 by age 65.
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Contribute $200/month to age 65 at different hypothetical earnings rates
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Start at age 20
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Start at age 30
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Start at age 40
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Start at age 50
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2%
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$174,931
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$121,510
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$77,764
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$41,943
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4%
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$301,894
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$182,746
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$102,826
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$49,218
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6%
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$551,199
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$284,942
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$138,599
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$58,164
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8%
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$1,054,908
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$458,776
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$190,205
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$69,208
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This is a hypothetical example and is not intended to reflect the actual performance of any specific investment. Earnings are pretax, and may be subject to income tax when distributed.
Take advantage of employer plans
Chances are your employer offers a 401(k), 403(b), or similar retirement savings plan. You can contribute up to $16,500 to a 401(k) plan in 2011. And if you are 50 years old or older, you can make additional "catch-up" contributions of up to $5,500, for a total of $22,000 in 2011.
Since pretax contributions are excluded from your paycheck, you will enjoy an immediate tax savings when you contribute to one of these plans. For example, if your effective income tax rate is 30%, a $22,000 annual pretax contribution will only "cost" you $15,400 once the tax benefit is factored in. Of course, you may have to pay income tax when you start receiving distributions from the plan, but it is possible you will be in a lower tax bracket at that time. Your employer's plan may also allow you to make Roth contributions. There is no immediate tax benefit as contributions are made with after-tax dollars, but qualified distributions are entirely free from federal and most states' income tax.
Even if you cannot contribute the maximum allowed, you should at least try to contribute as much as necessary to get any matching contributions that your employer offers. This is essentially "free money." However, you may need to work up to six years before you're fully vested in, that is, before you fully own any employer-matching contributions.
Don't forget IRAs
You can contribute up to $5,000 to an IRA in 2011. You can also make catch-up contributions to an IRA if you're 50 or older which is up to an additional $1,000 in 2011. Your contributions to a traditional IRA may be deductible if neither you nor your spouse are covered by an employer retirement plan, or if either of you are covered your income falls within specified limits. Like pretax 401(k) contributions, deductible IRA contributions can result in an immediate tax savings, and as with 401(k) plans, withdrawals made prior to age 59½ may be subject to an additional 10% penalty tax unless an exception applies.
Even if you cannot make deductible contributions to a traditional IRA, you can generally make nondeductible after-tax contributions. There are no up-front tax benefits, but your contributions will be tax free when withdrawn, and any earnings will grow tax deferred until distributed.
If your income is within prescribed limits, you can also make after-tax contributions to a Roth IRA. In this case, even the earnings are tax-free if your distribution is "qualified." Distributions are qualified if you satisfy a five-year holding requirement, and the distribution is made after you reach age 59½, become disabled or die, or the funds are used to purchase your first home (up to $10,000 lifetime).
Make saving a priority
Saving even a little money can really add up if you do it consistently. Consider ways to free up more money to save for retirement - by reducing discretionary spending, for example. Put retirement ahead of competing goals, even important goals like saving for your child's education.
Feel free to contact any of our wealth advisors to discuss a retirement strategy that is right for you.
It may seem obvious, but the earlier you retire, the less time you will have to save, and the more years you will be living off your retirement savings. For example, if you retire at age 70 instead of age 65, and save an additional $22,000 per year at a hypothetical 6% rate of return, you can potentially add $124,016 to your retirement fund and any existing savings will have five more years of potential growth. This is a hypothetical example and not intended to reflect the actual performance of any specific investment. Earnings are pretax, and may be subject to income tax when distributed.