Most Americans hope to cap a life of working hard with a secure retirement that allows them to enjoy the benefits of that hard work.
It only makes sense that the earlier you begin to plan and prepare for retirement, the sooner you’ll be able to enjoy a financially secure post-work future. Here are some resources to make that happen.
AARP
AARP was founded over 50 years ago with the mission to improve the quality of life of people over the age of 50. They provide an extensive collection of retirement resources for members and non-members alike. Start at the Retirement Planning section of their website at AARP.org.
How Much Do You Need to Retire
Check out the tools section of our site for links to handy retirement planning and savings calculators.
Social Security
While we don’t want to rely solely on Social Security to provide our retirement income, it can provide a nice foundation for our retirement program.
Check out SSA.Gov Benefits Planner page to
- apply for retirement and disability benefits as well as Medicare, and
- use the SSA Retirement Planner to learn how to qualify and when to apply for Social Security benefits as well as other retirement benefit questions.
Want to Retire with a Million Bucks
CNNMoney provides insight into retirement planning including how to retire a millionaire. They say it’s easier than it sounds and, no, it doesn’t involve lottery tickets!
Get Help for Your Retirement with Sound Financial Planning Advice
The Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. provides licensing and oversight to the Financial Planners industry. Their site provides a wealth of information on financial planning in general including great information on retirement planning. They also provide guidelines on picking a the right financial planner for your situation and a directory of Certified Financial Planners (CFPs) in your area.
In addition the CFB Board of Standards sponsors free financial education events in cities across the nation. Take a look at the following video for insight into what you’ll learn at these free financial planning clinics and visit FinancialPlanningDays.org for the schedule of upcoming workshops.
Strategies for Saving
Having and sticking to a sound savings’ strategy is the key to both saving for major purchases, like homes, cars and education, but for ensuring you have sufficient savings on hand to fund a comfortable retirement. Here’s a few links to give you ideas for successful savings.
- 28 Ways to Save for a Rainy Day
- 66 Ways to Save Money (website)
Download the 66 Ways to Save Money eBook
