70% of Americans Don’t Think They’ll Reach $1 Million for Retirement: 8 Things They Can Do Now
Written by
Kathryn Jackson
Edited by
Zuri Anderson
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Hitting $1 million for retirement might feel out of reach, and most Americans agree. In fact, 70% say they don’t think they’ll ever get there.
But with the right steps now, building a more secure financial future is still possible.
How People Feel About Saving for Retirement
According to CNBC, a survey that was conducted by Schroders, an investment management company, shows that Americans who have an employer-sponsored retirement plan feel that they will need to have at least $1.28 million put aside for retirement.Â
Only 30% of workers with a retirement plan will expect to have $1 million saved, 48% will possibly have $500,000 and only 26% think they will have $250,000 saved. Other studies find that 68% of Americans feel that they could work till they retire and still not have enough money for retirement. Â
With bills, loans and other expenses that are unexpected, it may be tempting for some individuals to want to use funds that they would have put aside for retirement to help pay off debt. This may leave most Americans with a feeling of doubt about the actual ability to have enough money saved for retirement.
Ways To Boost Retirement Savings
Americans need not despair because there are some easy ways to help build retirement savings.
- After enrolling in an employer’s retirement savings plan, check whether it allows pre-tax contributions. These reduce taxable income by deducting money before federal income taxes are calculated. For instance, someone in the 12% tax bracket who sets aside $100 each pay period would see take-home pay reduced by about $88, plus any required Medicare, Social Security and state and local taxes, according to Merrill.
- Check whether an employer offers a 401(k) plan with contribution matching, and be sure to contribute enough to receive the full match. For example, if the employer matches 50% contributions up to 5% of an employee’s salary, and the annual salary is $50,000 with a $2,500 contribution, the employer would add $1,250.
- If age 50 or older, look into catch-up contributions to IRA or 401(k) plans since yearly contributions are limited if under the age of 50.
- Consider opening a traditional IRA or a Roth IRA. With a traditional IRA, contributions may be tax deductible and are made pre-tax, which means potential investment earnings will be able to grow without taxes until withdrawals are made during retirement. With a Roth IRA, contributions are made after taxes and withdrawals will be free of federal taxes after age 59-1/2.
- Think about putting 1% or 2% of salary towards retirement savings, and then each year, raise the amount by 1% or 2% more, per This Is Pretirement.
- Any time extra money like a bonus or a raise happens, put at least half of the amount towards retirement.
- Contemplate delaying retirement as far as possible. Every year retirement is delayed before the age of 70 will increase the monthly benefits available.
- Reflect on possibly having a side job or hobby as a way to make extra money to save for retirement, according to This Is Pretirement.
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