Nothing can make you feel more at ease than knowing that your retirement is all planned out. This means that there is money in the bank, you have enough to spend for your needs and wants, and you can just enjoy your old age without having to think about going back to work to pay for all your expenses.
Perhaps, it is not just about getting ready for your retirement years. Even for your expenses in the very near future, you may want to start having some funds to cover these unexpected situations that require several hundreds of dollars. Otherwise, you may just get yourself in deep waters not knowing where or who to ask for financial support.
But the sad reality of the matter is that not everyone thinks of these things until there is barely any time left to prepare for the future. So, they end up working until they are past retirement age, or they are forced to change their lifestyle because of a lack of finances. With these in mind, it may help to start seriously thinking about these 4 important financial decisions that will give you a sense of satisfaction and peace of mind for your future.
1. Start Working On Your Emergency Funds
In life, there are surprises that come our way, which can be tough to bear at times. For instance, there are emergency expenses that can cause headaches and stress whether these may be massive hospital bills, a costly engine replacement for your car, or some other similar situations requiring a large sum of dispensable money.
The thing is, you can spare yourself from suffering due to these uncertainties in life. All it takes is having an emergency fund that can cover your expenses without having to take out a loan or maxing out on your credit card. After all, you run the risk of paying not just the principal amount borrowed, but also the interest rates accumulated from the entire duration of your loan. In the end, you may get even more stressed out from worrying about the piles and piles of debt you need to settle.
As early as now, you may start making plans with regard to building your emergency fund. As much as possible, save some money for the so-called “rainy days”. Each payday, put some money into this type of fund, whether it is 10 percent of what you make every month or maybe even more. In fact, financial experts recommend that you save some money that should be enough to cover a minimum of your 6 months’ living expenses. By doing so, you can breathe easily knowing there is no need for you to borrow money from the bank or a moneylender.
2. Get Your Retirement Years All Planned Out
How would you like to stop working completely even before the age of 60? Sounds like an exciting future, right? Just imagine not having to get up early in the morning to go on a commute to work, dealing with traffic, experiencing the hustle and bustle at the office, and going through the same thing over and over again. Always remember that you can have a way out – an early way out – of the daily grind if you choose to.
To make this promising experience of a retirement life quite possible, you should start as early as now in building your finances for the future. One thing you can do is by maximizing your contributions to your retirement plan or your CPF account. You always have a choice to put in as much money as you want, so this makes it ultimately possible for you to retire as early as you want – depending on how prepared you are, financially.
Keep in mind that when planning for your retirement funds, your lifestyle basically dictates how much money you will need to put in to your savings. For instance, if your goal is to live a life of luxury every single day of your retirement years, then you have to come up with a massive amount of money to make it happen. It is completely up to you, but the bottom line is that you should start the soonest possible.
3. Calculate Your Risks Before Making An Investment
Some people shudder and cringe at the thought of investing their money. They feel that whenever they put their money in for investment, there is always the huge chance of losing everything they have. So, there are those who opt for the smallest interest-earning bank account because they think it is the only way to secure their finances.
Unfortunately, it is hard to advance further if all you have is a savings account that earn too little annually. You may end up having to adjust your lifestyle or work extra hard until later in your life just to have some financial security by the time you are ready to retire. What’s worse, you may even extend your years working at the office because your savings and retirement funds are still never enough.
But you see, it is possible to safeguard your money and make some on your investment. It is a matter of doing careful research and calculating risks, so you can select the best investment vehicle that works for you. Remember, there are different types of investors, and you may belong to those who are what we call conservative investors or aggressive ones who can handle risky investments with potential higher profits.
Keep in mind that to prevent yourself from losing all or a huge percentage of your savings, you need to be aware of risks involved when it comes to investing. There are always hazards with investments, which include market, inflation, devaluation risks, liquidity, and credit risks. The higher risk an investment entails, so can you also expect higher returns and profits in the end. But you need to match your selected investment with the kind of investor you are. This is why consulting a financial advisor is important, so you are guided before and during making such a major decision in your life.
In addition to seeking assistance from a professional, doing the work also helps. Conduct research on various investment tools, the pros and cons of each, and have a clearer understanding of your views towards investing. Eliminate the fear and anxiety by being well-informed, and doing so can also help you determine clearer ways to grow your wealth in a more secure and thorough manner.
4. Free Yourself From Debts.
This is a major game changer for anyone who wants to increase their wealth and have a more secure retirement. After all, won’t you rather save your money and enjoy a part of it instead of using a huge chunk of what you make as debt payment? Sadly, a lot of people get to the point of accumulating piles and piles of debt until they can no longer repay what they owe creditors. Stressful, but this thing happens to a number of people every year.
Now is the time for you to pay your debts off instead of waiting for years to make this happen. The painful truth is that interest rates can hike up really fast, and you don’t want to be paying off massive fees and penalties on top of the principal you borrowed. So, once you are debt-free, you can actually begin saving more money and having more than enough for the rainy days.
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