We all understand that it is smart to save our money for the future. After all, even if social security payments are still around once we hit retirement age, it's certainly not going to provide sufficient income to keep us comfortable. Planning your financial future is a must, but it can be difficult, especially if you are young and have no experience with any type of investing. Consider the following tips to get you started.
You can consider many kinds of investment strategies, but one easy way to save is to take advantage of your company 401 (k) plan. This is a retirement plan where you select a portion of your income to take out of each paycheck. The money is placed in a special 401 (k) account, and then often your employer will add to this amount, matching it up to a set amount. Matching just means that if you put in $500, your employer also puts $500 into the account. Think of it as free money for retirement, a gift from your employer.
When it comes to 401 (k) plans, it is wise to consider putting in as much money as your company will match. So if your company matches up to $5,000 per year, put in $5,000 of your own money, too. If you put in less, you will miss out on some easy money. While $5,000 might seem like a lot, it's about $415 per month, and if you started saving this amount each year at age 25, you will have well over $1 million in your 401 (k) by age 65.
Not all companies offer a 401 (k) plan, so it's good to look at other options such as an IRA, which stands for individual retirement account. These also might be available through your employer, but you can also set one up through a bank. You also can consider investing in both an IRA and a 401 (k) as these all have different types of tax advantages and disadvantages. There are a few different IRAs, so talk to a banking advisor or a human resources representative at your workplace to discuss your options.
You might be thinking about investing in the stock market but are probably wary about the volatility. Rather than investing in a single stock that can go up or down inconsistently, it can be safer and more profitable in the long term to think about investing in some type of mutual fund. These are funds that include a variety of investments and this is what is known as a diversified investment. This diversity means that your risk is lower because you are not depending on one specific company to make a profit, but rather a large group of companies. So, if one company or holding isn't doing well, the others might be profitable and you can still earn money.
Just as there are many industries and many companies out there in the market, there are thousands of mutual funds. Talking to a trusted finance advisor is always a smart idea before you invest. There are many mutual funds, and each focuses on something specific. For instance, a green energy fund will focus on alternative sources of energy such as companies who work with solar power or wind power. A China fund will focus on holdings or companies that are based only in China and Hong Kong, and these companies will be from a variety of industries, from technology to banking. There are mutual funds for just about every country, region or industry imaginable, so there are plenty of interesting investment choices to consider.
You can consider many kinds of investment strategies, but one easy way to save is to take advantage of your company 401 (k) plan. This is a retirement plan where you select a portion of your income to take out of each paycheck. The money is placed in a special 401 (k) account, and then often your employer will add to this amount, matching it up to a set amount. Matching just means that if you put in $500, your employer also puts $500 into the account. Think of it as free money for retirement, a gift from your employer.
When it comes to 401 (k) plans, it is wise to consider putting in as much money as your company will match. So if your company matches up to $5,000 per year, put in $5,000 of your own money, too. If you put in less, you will miss out on some easy money. While $5,000 might seem like a lot, it's about $415 per month, and if you started saving this amount each year at age 25, you will have well over $1 million in your 401 (k) by age 65.
Not all companies offer a 401 (k) plan, so it's good to look at other options such as an IRA, which stands for individual retirement account. These also might be available through your employer, but you can also set one up through a bank. You also can consider investing in both an IRA and a 401 (k) as these all have different types of tax advantages and disadvantages. There are a few different IRAs, so talk to a banking advisor or a human resources representative at your workplace to discuss your options.
You might be thinking about investing in the stock market but are probably wary about the volatility. Rather than investing in a single stock that can go up or down inconsistently, it can be safer and more profitable in the long term to think about investing in some type of mutual fund. These are funds that include a variety of investments and this is what is known as a diversified investment. This diversity means that your risk is lower because you are not depending on one specific company to make a profit, but rather a large group of companies. So, if one company or holding isn't doing well, the others might be profitable and you can still earn money.
Just as there are many industries and many companies out there in the market, there are thousands of mutual funds. Talking to a trusted finance advisor is always a smart idea before you invest. There are many mutual funds, and each focuses on something specific. For instance, a green energy fund will focus on alternative sources of energy such as companies who work with solar power or wind power. A China fund will focus on holdings or companies that are based only in China and Hong Kong, and these companies will be from a variety of industries, from technology to banking. There are mutual funds for just about every country, region or industry imaginable, so there are plenty of interesting investment choices to consider.
About the Author:
Cleveland Jernigan loves blogging about investments. For additional information regarding Asian Pacific mutual funds, click here. Or to find a China investment fund, check out these fund websites today.