You’ve worked hard ever since you got that first job as a teenager. Over the years, you’ve gone from scooping ice cream to leading project teams, and you’ve built a solid financial foundation. As you’ve climbed the career ladder, you’ve worked toward a core goal: retiring early.
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Now, you’ve reached a point in your career where you can start planning that early retirement. While you’re likely working with a financial advisor, you may also be wondering what some of the most well-known financial experts recommend. Suze Orman, best-selling author and personal finance expert, is a strong advocate for strategic retirement planning.
Unsurprisingly, Orman advises setting up a few key accounts now to ensure you’re financially prepared for your retirement.
This may seem like a no-brainer, but how many twenty-something professionals truly prioritize their retirement accounts? And how common is it for people in their 30s and 40s to contribute less than they could to their 401(k) plans or IRAs? Orman wants you to focus on these accounts as early as possible.
She strongly recommends that people in their 20s start by saving at least 15% of their income in a retirement account. “Someone who starts saving 15% of their income by age 25 and keeps at it, will be in good shape decades from now,” she wrote.
Orman doesn’t expect that people at the very start of their careers will be able to max out contributions to their 401(k), traditional or Roth IRA. However, if you’re serious about retiring early, once you’re established in your career, you should prioritize maxing out those accounts every year.
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If there’s one account you’ll need regardless of where you are in life, it’s an emergency fund. That account becomes even more critical in retirement when you no longer have a steady paycheck. Having a well-stocked emergency fund now can also keep you from having to dip into your retirement savings or deviating from your early retirement plan.
Orman wants you to put your emergency savings in a high-yield savings account. These accounts allow your money to grow through interest while still keeping it easily accessible. Best of all, unlike retirement accounts, you won’t face penalties if you need to take any money out.
She also suggests setting up two separate emergency fund accounts: one for predictable expenses and another for unexpected financial shocks.
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