Did you know that one-fourth of Americans don’t have any retirement savings? Sadly, many individuals think they can put off their retirement income planning until the last minute and still be okay.

The reality is that you need to start this planning as early as possible. But how do you get started? Simple: by reading this article. In it, we’ll give you a quick crash course on how to start retirement income planning.

That way, you don’t need to worry about your financial future. Let’s get started!

Create a Budget

The first step to starting any retirement income planning is taking a look at your budget. Your budget consists of all of your income, as well as all of your expenses.

Your budget will give you an idea of how much money you can afford to set aside after you pay for things like housing, food, bills, and debt. In some cases, the money you have left might not be enough to retire on.

If you can, then you can try adjusting your budget by cutting unnecessary expenses. Another solution is finding additional work, or carefully investing your money, which we will go over in another section.

Pay Off Debt As Quickly As Possible

Staying swamped in debt is one of the most common retirement planning mistakes that people make. Ideally, you should be completely debt-free by the time you reach the age of sixty-five.

It’s important to deal with smaller things like credit card debt first.

However, you should prioritize things like your mortgage and car loan. These types of high-interest loans can set back your retirement income planning if you aren’t careful. As such, you should deal with them first.

Open Investment Accounts

Odds are that you won’t be able to retire with the money you’re able to put aside every month. Don’t panic. The good news is that you can make your money work for you.

The secret to doing this is opening investment accounts. Compound growth from these accounts will help you build your wealth and retire in peace. So, what type of investment accounts should you look into? Here are some good places to start:

• High-yield savings accounts
• Traditional IRA (or individual retirement account)
• ROTH IRA
• Simple IRA
• Traditional 401K plans
• SEP Plans (or Simplified Employee Pension)

Enjoy Learning About Retirement Income Planning? Keep Reading

We hope this article helped you learn more about what’s involved in retirement income planning. As you can see, there are multiple ways to begin growing funds that you can eventually retire on.

And, a retirement strategy that works for one person might not work for another. If you still aren’t sure how to proceed, then consider contacting a professional.

They can walk you through the appropriate steps for your specific circumstances. Did you enjoy this article? If the answer is yes, then you’re in the right place. Keep reading to find more topics that you’re sure to love.