5 Money Mistakes to Avoid in Your Retirement Planning

Many Americans who delay their retirement planning are usually caught off guard when reaching their retirement age. Instead of enjoying their golden years in peace, they find themselves struggling to meet expenses with reduced earnings. Here are 5 major retirement planning mistakes that you should avoid, so you can enjoy retirement in your later years.

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5 Major Retirement Planning Mistakes That You Should Avoid

1. Failing to Plan for Retirement

   Failing to plan is equivalent to planning to fail. The most significant retirement planning mistake people usually make is not creating financial goals and committing to a written plan to achieve them. If you don’t have specific, measurable financial goals in place and haven’t executed a step-by-step strategy to reach them, then you’re gearing up for future disappointments.

2. Delaying Retirement Savings

   Many people believe that they’ll get plenty of time to plan for their retirement once they purchase a home, fund their children’s college education, and so on. However, you should understand that time is the most valuable asset when it comes to saving for retirement. The more time you’ve got until retirement, the more convenient it is to grow your savings. Procrastinating about retirement strategy poses a grave risk to maintaining your desired lifestyle in the future.

3. Relying On Social Security Benefits

   Another wrong belief you may have is that the Social Security assistance you'll during retirement will be sufficient to support your lifestyle. Usually, that's not the case. You should get serious about considering your retirement plans, based on your age, the number of years until retirement, and the organization you work for. To get an idea of your expected Social Security benefits, check the website www.ssa.gov and try to include the retiring benefits in your plan. Otherwise, you’ll be in for a surprise when you retire.

4. Not Making the Most of Tax Incentives

   Anyone who is not taking the maximum advantage of savings incentives, configured within the tax system, is throwing away a good opportunity. For instance, contributions to a 401(k), 403(b), and various employer-backed retirement plans help reduce taxable income and support tax-deferred growth of your money. Additionally, many employers provide a savings matching plan which is equivalent to free money. However, it is mostly ignored by employees who choose to skip contributing to their plans.

5. Withdrawing Instead of Rolling Over Your Money

   When you take money out from your retirement fund, you incur the loss of valuable interest and disrupt substantial compound return effects. Follow the simple rule of not withdrawing any money that’s placed in a retirement plan until your retirement. If you withdraw the money while switching jobs, it terminates the compounding process. A better option is to consider rolling it over into an IRA which has many added benefits.

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Conclusion

Most of the people underestimate the need for retirement planning. They fail to set up savings early, or don’t save an adequate amount, or lack the financial knowledge of making smart investment choices. However, It’s crucial to take charge of your retirement plan and consider making savvy decisions to reap the benefits in your golden years.

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