iStock/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) — Whether they are just starting their careers or have been working for decades, many people ask themselves the same questions about retirement: when should I save? Am I saving enough? What should I do with the money I am saving?
Even if they have started saving at a young age, they may not know what to do with the money they are putting away.
Financial expert Jack Sharry, the EVP and Chief Marketing Officer of the software company LifeYield, recently spoke with ABC News, discussing the importance of saving, offering tips on what to do with their assets as a person approaches retirement.
“Save more than you think you should,” he says, explaining that young workers especially should look to have enough money saved up to be able to pay for monthly bills on time and a medical emergency. From there, they can begin to invest.
Then as they get older, Sharry says, workers can start taking more tangible steps towards a retirement plan:
“Whatever you own, and wherever you own it, organize it,” Sharry recommends, so that the person can best know exactly where their assets are and may be going.
Once a person organizes their assets, Sharry says, they can make bigger financial decisions, such as determining what investing risk level is right for them and their family and the ideal time to take from their social security.
As even more decisions come to the forefront in regards to saving, such as deciding what accounts to put additional funds in, how to most efficiently maximize a 401K, and whether or not to convert to a traditional IRA, Sharry recommends relying on a financial expert.
“There’s just a lot at work here. Look at the various income sources that you have,” Sharry says, and turn to an advisor from there.
Sharry’s company LifeYield, for instance, takes a specific approach to retirement planning, examining a person’s investments with their Taxficient Score software. It examines how much tax a person is paying on their investment and looks to maximize on the after-tax returns and incomes for the investor.
According to Sharry, taxes are “the single biggest expense for most investors” and ought to be minimized, something a company like LifeYield looks to do to better prepare workers for retirement.
Copyright © 2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.