Saving for retirement should be a priority in everyone’s life. Here’s a quick guide to help you learn how to get started and stay with it.

Rarely do you start thinking about retirement until much later in life, but experts say you should start planning as early as possible. If you start saving for retirement around the age of twenty five, you’ll be set.

Being prepared is wise, and when you’re much older, you’ll be glad you thought ahead and continued to read this guide for tips and ideas to start saving for retirement.

How to Start Saving for Retirement

The easiest way to start saving for your retirement is to open a 401(k) with your employer. And in some cases, employers will match the amount that you put into you 401(k).

It’s simple because once you’re signed up for one, the money is automatically deposited into the 401(k) before taxes are taken out of the paycheck.

You can contribute as much or as little into your 401(k) as you want, but remember it’s your future you’re planning.

Another solution to consider for retirement planning is a Roth IRA. While the money you may contribute to a Roth won’t be matched by an employer like the 401(k), and you’ll use your taxed dollars, when you retire you’ll be able to withdraw the money tax-free.

Investments and Emergency Funds

Aside from saving money for your retirement, you can do a few other things with your money that will ensure you have plenty of security and savings for your future.

Investments are another great way to set up for your retirement and can contain three different forms of “asset classes”:

• Stocks
• Bonds
• Cash

In some cases, you can even keep all three of these. Investing in stocks and bonds can be done individually or through a mutual fund. Real estate and gold are also options for those who want to keep it varied.

Using an investing tool is going to help you navigate the world of stocks and bonds while you start building your investment portfolio, and this blooom review has valuable input for investors who are just starting.

It’s never too early or too late to start an emergency fund. You never know when something unexpected could happen, like job loss, car repairs, or an accident. With an emergency fund, you wouldn’t have to use a credit card to live on.

Opinions differ on how much you should save for an emergency fund, but it should be an amount that you could comfortably live on for an extended period of time. However, having enough saved to feel safe is what counts.

You can start by calculating your expenses for each month. Say you use $2,000 a month and you want to save for a three-month emergency fund. You’ll need to start setting aside money until you’ve saved $6,000.

A standard home loan may not help you during retirement because you may already have difficulty paying your bills. Adding a mortgage payment may make handling your financial issues much harder. Lenders have developed reverse-mortgages to combat that issue. If you are of retirement age you qualify for that special loan type, which will provide you with money on an ongoing basis throughout your retirement. The terms a reverse-mortgage lender will set will not involve any need on your part to repay the loan immediately. They will be based on amounts determined by specific formulas, but you can use a reverse mortgage calculator to get a rough estimate. Unlike a standard loan, when you take out a reverse loan you will be encouraged to continue living in and owning your home for as long as you wish and spending the money allotted as you see fit. The balance will be owed when the home is no longer yours through death or a voluntary change of residence.

Financial Security and Peace of Mind

Financial security will never go out of style because it affords everyone the ability to live their lives without fear of what the future holds. No one can predict their future, but you can be as prepared as possible.

Check out our blog for more financial information and more lifestyle hacks!