(BPT) - Saving for retirement is a scary prospect for many Americans. In fact, just 14 percent feel confident they will have enough money to live on when they retire, according to the 2012 Retirement Confidence Survey by the Employee Benefit Research Institute. And 60 percent say they have less than $25,000 saved for retirement, the survey reveals.
Retirement planning and saving doesn’t have to be frightening or fruitless. Knowledge is power, and when it comes to preparing financially for retirement, the more you know, the more likely you are to succeed – and feel secure about your future in your golden years.
kAmw@H >F49 :D 6?@F89nk^Am
kAm&?46CE2:?EJ @G6C 9@H >F49 E96J ?665 E@ D2G6 :D 2 3:8 4@?46C? 2>@?8 H@C<6CD] %9:CEJ\7@FC A6C46?E @7 p>6C:42?D 92G6 ?@ C6E:C6>6?E D2G:?8D 2E 2==[ 244@C5:?8 E@ 2 A@== 3J k2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^HHH]92CC:D:?E6C24E:G6]4@>^}6HD#@@>^w2CC:D!@==D^E23:5^ccf^4E=^#625rFDE@>Ta_s672F=E^>:5^`d_g^pCE:4=6x5^egc^s672F=E]2DAIQ C6=lQ?@7@==@HQmw2CC:D x?E6C24E:G6k^2m] w@H >F49 J@F ?665 E@ D2G6 ?@H :? @C56C E@ 92G6 2 8@@5 =:76 H96? J@F C6E:C6 56A6?5D @? >2?J 724E@CD[ :?4=F5:?8 J@FC 4FCC6?E :?4@>6 2?5 286[ E96 286 2E H9:49 J@F A=2? E@ C6E:C6 2?5 E96 6IA6?D6D J@F 2?E:4:A2E6 J@F’== 7246 5FC:?8 C6E:C6>6?E]k^Am
kAmu@CEF?2E6=J[ k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]7C664C65:ED4@C6]4@>^C6D@FC46D^7:?2?4:2=\42=4F=2E@CD^C6E:C6>6?E\42=4F=2E@CD^9@H\>F49\H:==\:\?665\E@\D2G6\7@C\C6E:C6>6?E\42=4F=2E@CQ C6=lQ?@7@==@HQmC6E:C6>6?E 42=4F=2E@CDk^2m 42? 96=A J@F 86E 2 36EE6C A:4EFC6 @7 9@H >F49 J@F ?665 E@ D2G6] *@F’== 7:?5 A=6?EJ @7 42=4F=2E@CD 2?5 :?7@C>2E:@? 23@FE D2G:?8 7@C C6E:C6>6?E 7C@> C6D@FC46D =:<6 k2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^HHH]7C664C65:ED4@C6]4@>^Q C6=lQ?@7@==@HQm7C664C65:ED4@C6]4@>k^2m] %96 42=4F=2E@CD 42? 8:G6 J@F 2? :562 @7 9@H >F49 :?4@>6 J@F’== ?665 7C@> :?G6DE>6?ED E@ =:G6 @? 5FC:?8 C6E:C6>6?E[ 2?5 9@H >F49 @7 J@FC 4FCC6?E :?4@>6 J@F ?665 E@ D2G6 36EH66? ?@H 2?5 C6E:C6>6?E]k^Am
kAmrCF?49:?8 4C65:E ?F>36CDk^Am
kAmp?@E96C :>A@CE2?E 4@?D:56C2E:@? :D 9@H J@F H:== :?E6C24E H:E9 4C65:E H96? J@F C6E:C6] xE’D :>A@CE2?E E@ >2?286 4C65:E H:D6=J 5FC:?8 C6E:C6>6?E[ ;FDE 2D :E :D E9C@F89@FE J@FC 25F=E =:76]k^Am
kAm$EF5:6D D9@H E92E >2?J p>6C:42?D 5@?’E C68F=2C=J >@?:E@C E96:C 4C65:E[ H9:49 42? 36 2 4@DE=J >:DE2<6] x? 724E[ ed A6C46?E @7 p>6C:42?D 92G6 ?@E @C56C65 2 4@AJ @7 E96:C 4C65:E C6A@CE H:E9:? E96 A2DE J62C[ 2?5 b` A6C46?E 5@?’E <?@H E96:C 4C65:E D4@C6[ 244@C5:?8 E@ E96 }2E:@?2= u@F?52E:@? 7@C rC65:E r@F?D6=:?8’D u:?2?4:2= {:E6C24J $FCG6J]k^Am
kAm*@FC 4C65:E C6A@CE 2?5 D4@C6 2C6 :>A@CE2?E 5FC:?8 C6E:C6>6?E 7@C 2 ?F>36C @7 C62D@?D] u:CDE[ J@FC D4@C6 5:C64E=J 27764ED E96 4@DE @7 >2?J :>A@CE2?E 7:?2?4:2= ?665D[ DF49 2D 2FE@ :?DFC2?46 2?5 :?E6C6DE C2E6D] p=D@[ H9:=6 J@F D9@F=5 DEC:G6 E@ >:?:>:K6 563E 5FC:?8 C6E:C6>6?E[ :E >2J ?@E 36 AC24E:42= – @C 6G6? 56D:C23=6 – E@ 4@>A=6E6=J 6=:>:?2E6 4C65:E FD6 :? J@FC 8@=56? J62CD] u:?2==J[ ?@E <66A:?8 2? 6J6 @? J@FC 4C65:E C6A@CE 2?5 D4@C6 >2J >62? J@F 72:= E@ BF:4<=J 42E49 :?DE2?46D @7 7C2F5 @C :56?E:EJ E967E] $6?:@C 4:E:K6?D 2C6 @7E6? 2 72G@C:E6 E2C86E 7@C :56?E:EJ E9:6G6D 2?5 D42>>6CD]k^Am
kAm&?56CDE2?5:?8 J@FC 4C65:E – =625:?8 FA E@ C6E:C6>6?E 2?5 5FC:?8 – D9@F=5 36 2 <6J A2CE @7 J@FC C6E:C6>6?E A=2??:?8] (63D:E6D =:<6 k2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^7C664C65:ED4@C6]4@>Qm7C664C65:ED4@C6]4@>k^2m 42? 96=A 3J @776C:?8 6?C@==65 >6>36CD >@?E9=J DE2E6>6?ED[ 4C65:E C6A@CED[ 4C65:E D4@C6 2=6CED[ :56?E:EJ AC@E64E:@? 2=6CED 2?5 7C2F5 C6D@=FE:@? DFAA@CE]k^Am
kAm&?56CDE2?5:?8 J@FC $@4:2= $64FC:EJ 36?67:EDk^Am
kAm%@@ @7E6?[ A6@A=6 A=2??:?8 7@C C6E:C6>6?E 6:E96C C6=J E@@ >F49 @? $@4:2= $64FC:EJ @C @G6C=@@< :E 2=E@86E96C] }6:E96C C@FE6 :D 36DE] xE >2<6D D6?D6 E@ :?4@CA@C2E6 $@4:2= $64FC:EJ 2D A2CE @7 J@FC @G6C2== C6E:C6>6?E D2G:?8 A=2?[ 2D =@?8 2D J@F F?56CDE2?5 H92E E@ 6IA64E 7C@> E96 AC@8C2>]k^Am
kAm%96 $@4:2= $64FC:EJ p5>:?:DEC2E:@? AC@G:56D 6G6CJ E2IA2J6C H:E9 DE2E6>6?ED 23@FE 9@H >F49 E96J 42? 6IA64E E@ C646:G6 H96? E96J C6E:C6] *@FC $$p DE2E6>6?E :D ?@H 2G2:=23=6 @?=:?6] $:>A=J =@8 @? E@ k2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^HHH]D@4:2=D64FC:EJ]8@G^>J244@F?EQ C6=lQ?@7@==@HQmHHH]D@4:2=D64FC:EJ]8@G^>J244@F?Ek^2m 7@C 2? 6DE:>2E6 @7 E96 2>@F?E @7 $@4:2= $64FC:EJ 36?67:ED J@F 4@F=5 C646:G6 FA@? C6E:C:?8] z?@H:?8 9@H >F49 J@F 42? 6IA64E 7C@> $@4:2= $64FC:EJ 42? 96=A J@F A=2? J@FC C6E:C6>6?E D2G:?8D DEC2E68:6D]k^Am
kAm$2G:?8 7@C C6E:C6>6?E 5@6D?’E 92G6 E@ 36 :?E:>:52E:?8] xE’D ?6G6C E@@ =2E6 – @C E@@ 62C=J – E@ E2<6 4@?EC@= @7 J@FC C6E:C6>6?E D2G:?8D 8@2=D]k^Am
kAmk:>8 DC4lVk2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^HHH]3C2?5A@:?E4@?E6?E]4@>^AC:?ED:E6^x>286(C:E6C]2D9In2CE:4=6:5l`fdf`U2>Aj>6>36C:5lfac`fQm9EEAi^^HHH]3C2?5A@:?E4@?E6?E]4@>^AC:?ED:E6^x>286(C:E6C]2D9In2CE:4=6:5l`fdf`U2>Aj>6>36C:5lfac`fk^2mV 3@C56ClV_V H:5E9lV`V 96:89ElV`V ^mk^Am