Don’t Die Poor

Being prepared for retirement is one of the last things we think about when we start our careers and as we move through life. We are busy paying mortgages, buying houses, paying for tuitions, and hopefully taking great vacations. The sad truth is that too many people just aren’t prepared for retirement. In a new segment of Don’t Die Poor I am going to discuss what you need to know to retire with enough money to survive and even play in your wonder years.

There seem to be thousands of books and web sites focused on this topic alone and they all have a variety of methods that promise to help you save all kinds of money. I am not implying that the sites are not truthful or accurate because they all have some validity but what I have found is quite interesting. There are three overriding rules that are consistent throughout the writings I have covered…

We go to work everyday to bring home a paycheck. Some work hourly and others are salaried. No matter how your employer pays you, there are a few ways that you can save some money pre-tax money. This is the best form of money you can save. Its one of the few times you get to take advantage of 100% of YOUR MONEY! In some cases, your employer will add to it!! The 3 most common types of plans for tapping into your pre-tax dollars are the 401k, IRA plans, and Flexible Spending Accounts.

Does every dollar really count?? In my opinion, every penny counts but we won’t go that far. just to give you an idea of how much each dollar you earn is worth…