Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Significance of Retirement Planning

By Peter Wolf

When I was 23 I met one of the vice presidents of the largest bank in Canada. I worked as a reporter and we met for an interview. After introductions he asked me how old I was. Then he suggested that I should be saving up for my retirement. At the time I was perplexed but after a few years I realized how wise of a suggestion that was.

Planning for ones retirement must start as early as possible. It doesn't matter if you are saving a few dollars a month it all counts. Your savings should also be growing year by year in a way that will satisfy your target down the line. Saving however is not the only step you will need to take so that you have enough money to retire on. You will have to invest your savings as well.

There are many options for someone who is considering investing for their retirement these days. Simply placing your funds in a bank account is not enough and figuring out whether an investment is good or not can take a lot of work.

The investments for your retirement must be secure. The last thing you want to see is your hard earned and saved money disappear in a day due to market problems or bad choices. This has been a big problem for people recently with the financial crisis. Playing it safe and investing wisely is the best way to go.

A good investment choice might be mutual funds of low risk. There are several like these out there and you must do a certain amount of research in order to find them. You can also speak to a certified financial planner or an investment advisor so that you can get some advice with regards your investments.

Retirement planning is very important and everyone should at some point in their life sit down and formulate a plan. Whether on your own, with a financial planner, investment adviser or both planning is something you will have to do.

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