In July I will officially be retired for two years. This has been rather an odd two years. Things happened that I never would have dreamed would take place. Like a global pandemic and losing my job at the New Pittsburgh Courier. But planning paid off and life has been pretty sweet for the last 24 months. If I have not said it before I am grateful to Soul Pitt Media for asking me to join their amazing writing staff. Today I want to share with the people who have not yet retired and are wondering if they will ever be able to leave their day job. It takes planning and the earlier you start your plan the better off you will be. Perhaps you have been posed with the question what advice would you give to your younger self. My answer is always “save more money.” If you play your cards right, you can end up retiring with a large savings account. The key is to plan. How much will you need monthly to be comfortable? Where do you want to live, will there be others depending on you for funds? Such as a spouse or children or grandchildren. Will you have to pay college tuition for someone? There are a lot of factors that can enter into your retirement plans. A lot of companies no longer offer a pension plan, but they may offer a 401K or some other form of retirement savings. Save as much as you can and never say I can’t afford to save. You must plan for your future. If you retire in good health with some money in the bank life can be very enjoyable. If you need to seek out the advice of a professional, do it sooner than later. Make investments that you understand. Never enter into any get-rich-quick schemes or savings clubs that promise a fast return. Yes, retirement can be fun, work that plan.
Email the columnist at debbienorrell@aol.com
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