Saving for Retirement
Basic considerations
♦ What kind of retirement do you
want?
To a large extent, maintaining
financial independence in
retirement depends upon the
lifestyle you want.
♦ When do you want to retire?
The earlier you retire, the shorter
the period of time you have to
accumulate funds, and the longer
the period of time those dollars
will need to last.
♦ How long will retirement last?
Keep in mind that life expectancy
has increased at a steady pace
over the years, and is expected to
continue increasing. For many of
us, it's not unreasonable to plan
for a retirement period that lasts
for 25 years or more.
One of the best ways to accumulate
funds for your retirement is to take
advantage of special tax-advantaged
retirement savings vehicles, such as:
♦ 401(k)/403(b) plans -- Pretax
contributions reduce your current
taxable income. Funds aren't taxed
until withdrawn. May include
employer contributions. These plans
can also allow after-tax Roth
contributions--there's no up-front tax
benefit, but qualified distributions
are federal income tax free.
♦ Traditional IRAs -- Can reduce
your current taxable income if you
qualify to make tax-deductible
contributions, and funds in the IRA
aren't taxed until withdrawn.
♦ Roth IRAs -- Your after-tax
contributions provide no up-front tax
benefit, but qualified withdrawals are
federal income tax free.
In addition to any regular income tax
due, a 10% penalty tax may apply to a
distribution from one of these plans
made prior to age 59½ unless an
exception applies.