Don’t Rely on Your Pension Alone

Events in recent years involving businesses such as Enron and WorldCom have people concerned about establishing pension accounts with their employers. You can hardly blame them, either. Employees around the country are being told, “Don’t rely on your pension alone” when it comes time to retire.

While the chances of every business in the United States being dishonest and bilking their employees out of their hard-earned pension are slim, Enron and WorldCom are examples that it can happen. If you are concerned about the prospects, the solution is to have more control over the funds that you set aside for retirement, and where they are placed.

As a general rule, 401(k) plans are a safe place to save money. Your employer will deposit pre-taxed money into an account and will usually match a portion of your contribution. You should be able to decide where the money is placed, and in which proportions. If you are concerned that things aren’t right, your employer should have given you a telephone number for you to contact concerning your account.

It is unlikely, however, that even if you saved the maximum allowable contributions you would have enough money saved to cover the entire length of your retirement. It is for this reason that diversification is a good idea, especially when it comes to retirement funding.

There are several options to choose from when saving for retirement:

• Personal retirement accounts
• Roth Individual Retirement Accounts
• Money market funds
• Stocks and bonds

You may or may not have funding from Social Security, so you’ll want to consider some of these other options when planning your retirement nest egg.

One thing you can control, much more than the amount of money you could earn from the stock market, is what you are currently spending. If you choose to live below your means, and saving what you don’t spend, you can put that extra money toward IRAs or other stable savings plans.

There are even retirement plans for those who are self-employed. Keogh plans can be opened at any bank, credit union, or brokerage firm but have certain limitations. Check with a financial planner, financial counselor, or certified public accountant to get the rules for saving contributions for your state. Individuals may also set up individual retirement accounts, either traditional or Roth.

No matter where you place your money, you want it to grow for you. Having more than one source of saving would also be advisable since you never know what the financial markets are going to do. However you decide to save for retirement, don’t rely on your pension alone. You may find that there just isn’t enough there to meet your needs.

Differences in Saving for Retirement for Men and Women

One would think that when saving for retirement, the rules would be the same for everyone. However, there are differences in saving for retirement for men and women. It is advisable that both men and women consult with a financial planner. They will have the best advice for saving for retirement.

Prior to the 1980s, most companies had defined benefit plans in place where an employer saved money for the employee and then paid them a percentage of their income each month for the rest of their lives after retirement. Now, however, employees have to contribute to a defined contribution plan and the employer pays only a portion of the cost at retirement. 401(k) and profit sharing plans would be included in this type of plan.

Traditionally, men have been the main financial provider. They are not expected to live as long as women, and are not expected to be the sole provider for their dependent children should their spouse die. Therefore, they have been advised to save for retirement, but generally have left the actual planning to the employer. Times have changed, however, and men are now realizing they have more responsibility and options when it comes to saving for retirement.

Women, on the other hand, are relatively new to the job market and worrying about what to do about retiring. Women are generally given different financial advice than men. Part of the reason women are given different financial advice is the fact that they are expected to outlive their spouses. They are advised to save more for retirement because they are expected to live longer.

Another reason women are advised differently is because women generally make less money and start to save later in life than men do; therefore, they end up saving much less than their male counterpart. Women haven’t been taught about financial planning and so probably avoid making financial decisions because they are afraid they’ll make a big mistake.

As a general rule, if a couple were to divorce, the children would most likely be awarded custody of any dependent children. This fact alone could make a huge difference in how a woman would be able to plan for retirement. If her ex-husband doesn’t pay child support as he should, she would have less money to save for retirement because she would be using it all for maintaining the household.

Both men and women would be wise to take advantage of any financial education that is available to them. Because there are differences in saving for retirement for men and women, both would benefit from education and advice from qualified financial planners or certified public accountants to help them make the best financial decisions about their future retirement.

Advantages and Disadvantages to 401(k) Plans...

The 401(k) plan, or “defined contribution plan,” is so called because the amount of contribution is measurable; the amount you receive upon retirement is not measurable. There are advantages and disadvantages to 401(k) plans. Choosing to invest in this type of plan is entirely up to you. You might want advice of a qualified certified public accountant (CPA) or financial counselor.

Advantages of the 401(k) plan include:

• Tax Deferred. All savings for retirement in this plan are tax deferred. This means the contribution is taken out before taxes are paid on your paycheck. Taxes will be paid on the amount withdrawn, however.
• You have a choice. You have a choice in how much you contribute; therefore you control how much you are able to save. Your employer may contribute a matching percentage which will help the amount you save grow even quicker.
• Payroll deductions. Most companies will have 401(k) contributions taken automatically taken out as a payroll deduction. You should also get quarterly reports from the investment company.
• Will not affect Social Security. Your 401(k) account will have no bearing on the amount of money you will receive from Social Security. Since Social Security was established to help supplement your income, you will want to have another source of income, and a 401(k) can provide that income.
• Your funds are safe. Even if the company you work for files for bankruptcy protection, the money you have contributed is safe. It is held in trust by a separate entity and cannot be touched in case of a bankruptcy. The money vested in your account is yours and remains safe.
• Loans are possible. Because the money in your 401(k) plan is yours, you may be able to borrow against it in the case of an emergency. Realize that if you do not make regular payments back into the 401(k), it will be changed to a distribution and all penalties and taxes will follow.

Disadvantages of having a 401(k) are varied:

• Loans are possible. While many might think the ability to borrow against your 401(k) is an advantage, the ease by which you may borrow really makes it a disadvantage. If you fail to repay the loan, you may face stiff penalties and possibly forfeit the remainder of your 401(k).
• Market driven. Your money, when placed into a 401(k), does not have the benefit of being insured. In fact, depending on the investments that you’ve chosen, you could actually lose money while it is tied up in a 401(k). If you see that you’re starting to lose money on a particular investment, you might want to consider changing it.
• Limited payout. Unless you have chosen to invest in risky investments, you may not receive the return on your investment that you desire. Most financial counselors will suggest that you spread your investments out between conservative and risky investments.
• Employer limitations. Some employers may not allow you to contribute as much as you’d like. They may also choose not to match your contributions. In either case, you may not be able to save as much as you would prefer.

By looking at the advantages and disadvantages to 401(k) plans, you can see that much research or advice may be needed before choosing to sign up for the plan at work. A reputable financial counselor can give you the advice you need to make the best decision for your financial goals.

It’s Never too Early to Start Saving for Retirement

Well, maybe that title isn’t entirely true. If you’re six and just got $20 for a birthday present, it might be a “tad” bit early to start saving for retirement 60 years in the future. However, if you’re an adult, it’s never too early to start saving for retirement. In fact, the sooner you start the better off you’ll be when the time to retire comes.

Most financial advisors will advise you to begin saving money for retirement when you begin your first job, so it really isn’t too early to begin planning for the future. The fact is, if you begin saving when you begin a job, and save faithfully every month, when you’re ready to retire, you could have saved a good deal of money. If you waited ten years to begin saving, you’d have less money saved in the long run.

Look at it this way, if you retire at age 65 and you live until you’re 90, you’re going to have to live on what you’ve saved for 25 years, and you won’t have a paycheck to help you out. So starting to save when you’re younger will give you that many more years to save, and compound interest on all that you’ve deposited.

Savings options abound when it comes to retirement. There is the traditional 401 (k) that you can start at your place of employment. You can also open an Individual Retirement Account (IRA). There are stocks and bonds, Certificates of Deposit (CDs), and Money Market Accounts. It is advisable that anyone beginning to save for retirement speak with a financial planner to give them the best advice for where to put their hard-earned savings.

Deciding to save money for retirement depends on a number of things:

• Your age when you start saving
• The age you plan to be when you retire
• Whether or not you’re married with a family
• What lifestyle you would be most comfortable with when retirement comes.

Speaking to a financial advisor will help you learn how much money you will need for retirement, how much money you will need to save, and approximately how long that money would last you. You can also find online calculators that will give you similar information.

Everyone agrees that saving for the future is important. Unfortunately not everyone does it. Remember, even if you’re getting close to retirement age, you can still begin to save. While it’s never to early to start saving for retirement, it can be too late. Begin now, regardless of how old you are, and you’ll have more to time to save for the future – your future.