If there's one question about retirement planning that many people feel unsure about, it's this: How much should I contribute to my 401(k) each year? Seriously ... what's the magic answer? Is it 5%? 10%? 15%? Take a stroll around the Internet, and you're bound to find a number of opinions from reputable sites. For example, Investopedia is quoted as saying that "a good sweet spot is between 10% to 15%". That's not surprising; especially when you consider that when you're young (in your 20’s and 30’s) and just starting out, retirement can feel like such a long ways away. You know you should be saving up for the future. But at the same time you've got to balance your finances against goals that are in the present such as your family … [Read more...] about How Much Should I Contribute to My 401(k) Plan? This is the Number You Need to Hit!
401k employer match
How Do You Compare to the Average Retirement Savings of Other Americans?
Have you ever wondered how your 401k balance stacks up against the rest of the population? If you’re a devout saver, you may be surprised to find out just what the current average retirement savings for most Americans actually are. I first became somewhat curious about my own pace against those of other people after reading the book Your Money Ratios. The book offers you some suggested milestones for where you should be at with your savings given different age levels. In case you want to know but are too scared to “look under the bed”, your 401k balance is probably doing a lot better this year than you think. Despite some of the choppy financial news for this month, 2013 has been a pretty favorable year overall for the market on … [Read more...] about How Do You Compare to the Average Retirement Savings of Other Americans?