It’s easy, we promise!
Haven’t given much thought to your plans for retirement and financial planning? You’re not alone. Around 44% of New Zealander’s still haven’t joined KiwiSaver – and of those, aside from babies and the elderly, there’s a good chunk of working kiwis who haven’t started planning for retirement.
Luckily, getting started is a lot easier than you may think – and the sooner you start, the greater your ability to have the retirement (and lifestyle) of your dreams.
Here are five simple ways to get started with your retirement and financial planning:
- It’s obvious nowadays – but join KiwiSaver. It’s the only scheme where the government will match your contributions, dollar for dollar, up to $521.43 per year (this is called a member tax credit). It’s free money, so why wouldn’t you? Joining is easy, especially with the help of an Adviser. Cole Murray’s KiwiSaver advice comes at no cost to you (we are paid by the scheme provider) and comes with added benefits like having our adviser help you with the paperwork, get you on the right tax rate, and calling you once a year to make sure it’s all working for you. You won’t get that at the bank!
- Map out how much you need to retire, and how much you can save for the remainder of your working life. If you’ve got decades of your working life left in the tank then you’re in a great position to build the retirement of your dreams. The scenario will be quite different if you have only years rather than decades left until retirement, but there are still things you can be doing to better your financial future. A retirement and financial planning adviser can help you work through the various options to suit your unique situation, and make it easy to understand.
- Get a serious financial plan happening. You’ll be amazed how a little bit of clarity and professional advice can make all the difference. You go to the dentist and take your car to the mechanic, so why not use a professional to plan your financial future? Our clients save thousands simply by playing it smart – and it starts with some key questions our Financial Planner will ask you, to find out what’s truly important in your life.
- Know yourself. Learn what kind of investor you are – what is your appetite for risk? How do you feel about putting your savings on the stock market vs. earning interest in the bank?
- Stop procrastinating! Putting your retirement and financial planning in the “too hard” basket can seem the easiest option at the time, but trust us – it’s actually quite easy! And the time to start is NOW.
Talk to a Cole Murray adviser today about getting started, so that your retirement and financial planning goals can become a reality!
Photo by Julius Yls on Unsplash
