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Will These 3 Common Mistakes Prevent You from Retiring Early and Living Comfortably Once You Do?

By Brian Bagnall | Uncategorized

by Brian Bagnall

Planning for your retirement is one of, if not the most important financial goals you will take on. And the stakes are quite high.

In fact, failing to avoid the 3 mistakes you’ll learn about today can transform your golden years from joy, freedom and independence to penny pinching, dependence, and even poverty.

And sadly, most Americans believe they are on track by funding IRA’s or 401k retirement plans and some still believe Social Security or a Company pension plan will be enough to retire comfortably.

The statistics are both shocking and scary: according to Hamilton Financial, 9 out of 10 people will retire in poverty or run out of money before passing away.

However, if you are able to avoid these three mistakes you’ll also be able to avoid becoming part of the statistic:

Retirement Planning Mistake 1: Not Having a Plan

The Employee Benefits Research Institute recently performed a Retirement Confidence Survey which revealed that 60% of workers have not calculated how much money they need to save for their retirement income needs.

Sadly, most people spend more time planning their next vacation than planning their financial future. And as you now, failing to plan is planning to fail.

If you have not taken the time to set measurable and specific financial objectives in writing and designed and implemented an action plan to achieve them, there’s a very high chance you won’t be able to enjoy freedom and independence in your golden years.

There are many reasons why such a high percentage of Americans experience so much financial hardship after retirement, but failing to plan is the number one retirement planning mistake.

Financial Coaching is a great way to get help designing your retirement plan. Having a monthly session with your Financial Coach can provide the accountability and experience necessary to support you in completing the implementation of your retirement plan, but even a single session can provide you with the clarity you need to get things going yourself.

Retirement Planning Mistake 2: Not Saving Enough and Not Starting Early

I know, I know. Nobody wants to be told to save more. The value of savings is so often repeated it sounds like a boring lecture. But the reality is that you’re either consuming your retirement today or your saving for it.

Chances are you have already heard the “save 10%” rule of thumb. It’s actually a workable formula if you start in your 20’s and plan to retire in your sixties.

But ideas of retirement are different, and if your vision is to retire at 50 with a waterfront property, then the truth is that saving just 10% isn’t likely to cut it – particularly if you wait to start saving until age 40 or later.

Saving money for retirement is all about alternatives and priorities. It’s about choosing a few minor inconveniences today that will compound into a comfortable retirement tomorrow.

What do I mean by a few minor inconveniences? For example, what do you think is the real price of the fancy coffee drink you buy each day?

$5 per day, times 20 days per month, for 50 years at 10% interest results in $1,876,000.00 that could be saved for retirement. When you look at it that way, a few minutes in the morning filling a thermos bottle seems like a small price to pay for that additional security in your retirement.

Especially when we consider it could be the difference between needing financial help from your children to survive and being able to stretch a helping hand when they need one.

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FREE Guide Explains: The 30-Minute Retirement Plan So You Can Retire on Your Terms

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Retirement Planning Mistake 3: Investing Too Aggressively – Or Not Aggressively Enough

Investing for your retirement is a matter of balance. You must be able to balance your “fear and greed” by making an intelligent analysis of risks and rewards.

You are probably very aware that trying to make up for insufficient savings by investing too aggressively and taking unjustified risks is a sure way to drive your retirement funds down to zero.

However, fearing losses so much you become overly conservative and invest only in guaranteed annuities and CD’s is a guaranteed way to lose purchasing power over time due to the low returns they provide.

In fact, the returns frequently end up being negative after taxes and inflation are factored in.

Investing requires both an offensive and defensive strategy, and again, a Financial Coach can be of great help helping you design such a strategy.

And as I stated before, spending even an hour of your time with someone who has years of experience, knowledge and success under his or her belt in the retirement planning field can provide you with the clarity you need to take it yourself from there.

While there are many renowned experts who can help you boost your investment’s ROI, there are also many “experts” who will do more harm than good. So always, always, make sure you perform extensive research before you trust someone with your financial future.

Now, if you have come to trust me as an expert in my field, there is a way in which I can help you design a custom tailored retirement plan that’s specific for you, set long term and short term investment goals and design an investment strategy that includes both conservative and growth oriented investments.

Every month, I hold 10 Investment Boosting sessions in which I get on the phone with people who are committed to improving their financial future and living comfortably during their golden years.

While the spots may be filled out by the time you read this, you can learn more about how the process works and apply for an Investment Boosting session by clicking here:

www.FreeInvestmentBoost.com

If I do get to jump on the phone with you, you’ll walk away with a retirement plan with specific, measurable financial goals and a custom investment strategy to fit your needs.

If for any reason we don’t get to talk, I still strongly encourage you to find a Financial Coach who has a proven success record. It can cut years off your retirement plan and seriously increase the money you’ll have available once you do.

If you found this article helpful, don’t forget to leave a comment below. 🙂

5 Easy Ways to Make Sure You Won’t Run Out Of Money in Retirement

By Brian Bagnall | Uncategorized

by Brian Bagnall

Did you know that a new study shows that 83% of Americans aren’t going to be able to retire on time?

That’s staggering.

And that number has only gotten worse.

This has lots of ramifications. It means that you might have to continue working well past your retirement date. Or you might have to pick up a 2nd job. Or you might have to decrease your cost of living. Or, worse yet, you might never be able to retire (this is becoming more common).

The days of counting on Social Security for your retirement are long gone. Now a days, many retired people, who failed to plan for their financial future and depend completely on Social Security, are struggling harshly and barely getting by.

And even retirees who have saved for retirement during their working years have had to make drastic changes on their lifestyles in order to adjust to their new incomes.

In fact, 56% of retirees are “not confident they will be able to live comfortably throughout their retirement years”, according to data from AARP (the American Association of Retired Persons).

Sadly, most Americans will just not be able to maintain their lifestyle in retirement and many will see their savings and investments come up short for even the most basic of expenses. But you’ll be one of the few who will be financially set if you follow the advice on this article.

Some of the advice is basic and some of it is advanced. Regardless, sometimes the most basic advice or smallest change can make the biggest impact.

So what can you do to make sure you don’t run out of money in retirement?  Here are 5 of the major ones:

1. Stop Doing What Everyone Else Is Doing

Most people invest the funds in their retirement account into a combination of these things:

• Stocks
• Bonds
• Mutual Funds
• CD’s

There is, however, one major problem with this.

If you’re doing what the average person is doing, how can you possibly expect anything other than average results?

And the answer is: you can’t.

The average yearly return investing using a combination of stocks, bonds, mutual funds, and CDs is 3% to 6%.

And for heaven’s sake, never put money in a savings account as an investment technique.  Only use a savings account for the portion of your money that you want to be able to access in case of emergency.

2. Not Accounting for Inflation

Now, a 3% to 6% return isn’t horrible… until you factor in inflation.

Inflation is when prices rise and your money decreases in purchasing power.  This happens for a number of different reasons but stems from the fact that the government keeps printing money.

Every year, the government releases an estimated rate of inflation for the previous year. Usually, it’s about 1-2% per year. The problem with the rate that the government releases is that it’s never in their best interest to release a high inflation rate because it shows that they are printing too much money. Investment experts agree that the real rate of inflation is about 5% per year.

You can roughly figure out what inflation is by paying attention to how much the cost of the things you buy on a regular basis have risen. For example, According to USA Today, the prices on these common items went up:

• eggs went up 5.7%
• tomatoes went up 6.9%
• sausage went up 8.7%
• potatoes up 6.9%
• oranges up 12.2%.

But let’s take the 5% figure that most investment experts agree on. Let’s assume that you’re making 6% on your retirement funds, which is the high end of average. When you subtract 5% inflation from your 6% yearly return, that leaves you with earning 1% per year. You’re not going anywhere by making 1% on your money except to the poor house.

(To really be able to see your money grow, you have to invest in instruments that will yield at least a 10% ROI, or Return On Investment. But we’ll get to how you can achieve this later in this article.)

3. Define Your Objectives and Your Time Horizon

When working on your retirement plan, it’s very important to consider how long you’ll need your retirement savings to provide for you. While average life expectancies are published each year, there are more things that you need to take into consideration when defining your investment’s time horizon.

Your family’s history of health and longevity plays a major role, as does your current health and lifestyle choices. Remember that most people outlive their ancestors and the average life expectancy increases every year due to advances in health care and medicine. In a general sense, planning for a longer life is the smart way to go.

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Learn The #1 Investment Secret So You Can Retire on Your Terms

CLICK HERE >>>

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4. Consider Investing in Structured Settlements

Sometimes, people who suffered a personal injury receive fixed payments for a specific period of time instead of a lump sum payment from their insurance companies or court cases.

This agreement is called a structured settlement. Many times, however, people prefer the lump sum instead. You can invest in such instruments and offer cash for their settlement, minus a percentage, and take over payments for them.

This way, they get a large sum of cash and you are able to get a decent and very safe return on your investment. Investing in structured settlements could be a great idea for you if you have a large enough sum of cash available.

5. Increase the Return on Your Investment

This sounds obvious, but most people don’t realize the huge difference between a low return on investment and a high one. If you are able to obtain better returns on your investments, you can both drastically reduce the time it will take you to retire and considerably increase your monthly budget once you do so.

Let’s look at this graphically:

Annual Contribution	Return on Investment	Total at age 65
$1,200.00	5%	$79,762.62
$1,200.00	15%	$521,694.18
*This numbers were calculated using Bloomberg’s retirement calculator at: http://www.bloomberg.com/personal-finance/calculators/retirement/

Shocking isn’t it? Well, this is the impact that investing your money like a pro can have on your long term financial future.

6. Not Seeking Out Alternative Investments

You might think that getting a 15% yearly return is hard to do. It’s actually not.

For instance, most people don’t know that you can buy real estate IN your retirement portfolio and your money can grow tax free.

Most wealth has been created with real estate than almost any other method. Real estate tends to perform really well over long periods of time and the rewards can add a great deal to your chances of retiring on time.

So What Now?

So you’ve read this article and found some things you could be doing better. But what exactly should you do next?  Well, you have 2 choices:

1. Be average
2. Be smart

An average person would click away from this page and go about doing whatever they were doing.

A smart person will say to themselves, “I really need to stop procrastinating on my retirement accounts and take an active interest… right now.”

It’s never too early (or too late) to start making changes to your retirement plan to make sure that you’re getting the best return possible so that you can enjoy retirement on your terms.

To help those that are smart, I wrote a guide called the “30 Minute Investing Plan” to help you get a better idea of what your next steps should be.  In the guide, I detail what you can do in less than 30 minutes to avoid running out of money in retirement.  And I want to give it to you for free.

While there is really good information contained in the guide, there’s nothing like a seasoned investment expert personally reviewing your portfolio and giving you customized advice.  And I want to help you do just that… for free too!

So go here to request your free guide (and be sure to check the box at the bottom to request your Free Investment Boosting Session with me personally).

www.FreeRetirementTips.com

When we jump on the phone, you’ll walk away with a retirement plan with specific, measurable financial goals and a custom investment strategy to fit your needs that you can immediately implement to double or even triple your current ROI.

If you found this article helpful, don’t forget to share it and leave a comment below.  I try and respond to every comment.

Want To Retire On Time? These 5 Tips Tell You All You Need To Know…

By Brian Bagnall | Uncategorized

by Brian Bagnall

Unless you’re lucky enough to be doing a job you absolutely love and never want to quit, chances are you want to retire at some point with enough money to enjoy yourself in your later years.

Trouble is, What typically happens when we do stop working, is we experience a drop in our income and all our plans for enjoying a few luxuries while we relax are suddenly out of the window!

Over your working life, your income will typically increase with age and experience and then in your 40’s, it tends to level out a bit. There are less chances for promotion so you tend to stay at roughly the same rate until you reach retirement age.

What happens next can be quite a shock because when you do retire and your pension kicks in, you will see a sharp drop in your income. This can be much worse if you happen to retire in the middle of an economic downturn, as many people have found out over the last few years!

It doesn’t have to play out like that though and with some careful planning, you will be able to retire on time and still enjoy the lifestyle you currently do without having to take a hit.

Here are 5 things you can do to give yourself the best chance of being able to retire on time and with the levels of income you deserve:

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Learn The #1 Investment Secret So You Can Retire on Your Terms

CLICK HERE >>>

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Tip #1: Work Out What You Need…

Sounds really obvious, right? If you want to retire at a certain age with a certain income, you need to work out exactly what that looks like or you have no idea how to go about making it happen.

It’s like any kind of goal setting exercise and you have to know where you’re going so you can take the action needed to get there. This is slightly different though and you will need to revisit your plan on a regular basis to make sure it’s on track.

What makes it different, is the fact that the economy has a habit of changing and you will need to make sure that your investments are not going to be damaged by a change in circumstances.

Tip #2: Select The Right Plan…

Once you’ve worked out the right route map for your particular needs, you will have to choose the best vehicle to get you where you’re going. In the real world, it’s no good using a skateboard to go off-roading!

If you have a normal 9 to 5 kind of job, chances are your employer has some kind of pension scheme in place but you need to make sure you understand all the small print of the scheme and the amount of money you can expect at retirement.

It’s likely that if you solely rely on your work pension, you will experience that drop in your income that we mentioned before, so be prepared to seek out alternative ways to invest in your retirement.

Tip #3: Save Some Money Each Month…

It’s another one that sounds really obvious but is more often overlooked. If you want to retire on time, you may need to make a few sacrifices along the way to make sure you have enough money when the time comes to pull the trigger on your retirement plan.

Saving some money each month deals with two possibilities…Assuming your life is plain sailing and nothing goes wrong, the money you have been saving can be used to top up your pension. If something does go wrong (and you know it often does), you will already have a stash of money available to dig you out.

Saving for a rainy day is always sensible because it does tend to rain every now and then! Obviously, you should choose the right place to save your money to get the best return possible over the long haul but make sure that if you need it, you can get to it without massive penalties too.

Tip #4: Watch How You Spend Your Money…

It’s easy to get sucked into buying the latest “must have” technology or putting the cost of a vacation on your credit card but remember that everything you spend now is just taking away from your retirement fund.

Now I’m not saying that you should stop enjoying yourself in the present but if you have a plan to retire at a certain age, with a certain income, you will have to be careful about how you handle your money.

Living for the moment can be exciting and I’m sure your family and friends might enjoy the ride but when it comes down to quality of life in your twilight years, being a little cautious about your spending will most definitely pay off!

Think about things like the possibility of increased medical bills or long term care…The last thing you want to do is burden your family with those kind of decisions and worries because you decided to live beyond your means.

It’s all about balance…Enjoying the journey of life with an eye on the future.

Tip #5: Seek Out Alternative Investments…

Assuming you have a typical pension from your 9 to 5 and are managing to put a few bucks away each month on top of that, it would be wise to look for opportunities to invest your savings into plans that will give you the best returns.

It really depends on the economic climate at the time but there are many ways that you can increase your savings and future retirement income if you are smart about how you invest.

Property and stocks both tend to perform well over long periods of time and the rewards can add a great deal to your chances of retiring on time but caution is the watchword.

All investments are risky, to a degree, so it’s important you get the right advice before you decide which way is best for you.

If you think this article has been helpful, please share it…Maybe it could help someone else too!

P.S. The advice above is mostly common sense but because I have no idea about your actual financial situation, it’s pretty generic.

The fact that you read this article tells me that you are serious about your retirement and are at least thinking about how you can best plan for your future and because of that, I want to reach out to you and offer you a helping hand.

I want to offer you the chance to jump on a quick 30 minute call with me (free of charge) so we can take a look at your situation together and see if we can come up with a solid plan that you can use to make sure your retirement goals are well and truly met.

Click this link now and watch a short video I made for you that explains everything…Then simply fill in a quick form and I will get straight back to you to set up the call.

Investing for Retirement

By Brian Bagnall | Uncategorized

by Brian Bagnall

Retirement may be a long way off for you – or it might be right around the corner. No matter how near or far it is, you’ve absolutely got to start saving for it now. However, saving for retirement isn’t what it used to be with the increase in cost of living and the instability of social security. You have to invest for your retirement, as opposed to saving for it!

Let’s start by taking a look at the retirement plan offered by your company. Once upon a time, these plans were quite sound. However, after the Enron upset and all that followed, people aren’t as secure in their company retirement plans anymore. If you choose not to invest in your company’s retirement plan, you do have other options.

First, you can invest in stocks, bonds, mutual funds, certificates of deposit, and money market accounts. You do not have to state to anybody that the returns on these investments are to be used for retirement. Just simply let your money grow overtime, and when certain investments reach their maturity, reinvest them and continue to let your money grow.

You can also open an Individual Retirement Account (IRA). IRA’s are quite popular because the money is not taxed until you withdraw the funds. You may also be able to deduct your IRA contributions from the taxes that you owe. An IRA can be opened at most banks. A ROTH IRA is a newer type of retirement account. With a Roth, you pay taxes on the money that you are investing in your account, but when you cash out, no federal taxes are owed. Roth IRA’s can also be opened at a financial institution.

Another popular type of retirement account is the 401(k). 401(k’s) are typically offered through employers, but you may be able to open a 401(k) on your own. You should speak with a financial planner or accountant to help you with this. The Keogh plan is another type of IRA that is suitable for self employed people. Self-employed small business owners may also be interested in Simplified Employee Pension Plans (SEP). This is another type of Keogh plan that people typically find easier to administer than a regular Keogh plan.

Whichever retirement investment you choose, just make sure you choose one! Again, do not depend on social security, company retirement plans, or even an inheritance that may or may not come through! Take care of your financial future by investing in it today.

If you enjoyed this article, please share it!  🙂

P.S. The advice I gave above is good advice but, because I don’t know your specific situation, it is generic advice.  Since you read this article, I can tell that you’re serious about your retirement (and it’s never too early to get serious about it). Because of that, I want to personally help you to retire on your terms by getting on a 30 minute Investment Boosting call with you (completely FREE of charge). On the call, I’ll find out how your investments are performing, what your investment goals are, and we’ll come up with a plan of action to get your goals met. Just click here now to watch this brief video and fill out the simple form and I’ll get it touch.

Investing Mistakes to Avoid

By Brian Bagnall | Uncategorized

by Brian Bagnall

Along the way, you may make a few investing mistakes, however there are big mistakes that you absolutely must avoid if you are to be a successful investor. For instance, the biggest investing mistake that you could ever make is to not invest at all, or to put off investing until later. Make your money work for you ñ even if all you can spare is $20 a week to invest!

While not investing at all or putting off investing until later are big mistakes, investing before you are in the financial position to do so is another big mistake. Get your current financial situation in order first, and then start investing. Get your credit cleaned up, pay off high interest loans and credit cards, and put at least three months of living expenses in savings. Once this is done, you are ready to start letting your money work for you.

Don’t invest to get rich quick. That is the riskiest type of investing that there is, and you will more than likely lose. If it was easy, everyone would be doing it! Instead, invest for the long term, and have the patience to weather the storms and allow your money to grow. Only invest for the short term when you know you will need the money in a short amount of time, and then stick with safe investments, such as certificates of deposit.

Don’t put all of your eggs into one basket. Scatter it around various types of investments for the best returns. Also, don’t move your money around too much. Let it ride. Pick your investments carefully, invest your money, and allow it to grow ñ don’t panic if the stock drops a few dollars. If the stock is a stable stock, it will go back up.

A common mistake that a lot of people make is thinking that their investments in collectibles will really pay off. Again, if this were true, everyone would do it. Don’t count on your Coke collection or your book collection to pay for your retirement years! Count on investments made with cold hard cash instead.

If you enjoyed this article, please share it!  🙂

P.S. The advice I gave above is good advice but, because I don’t know your specific situation, it is generic advice.  Since you read this article, I can tell that you’re serious about your retirement (and it’s never too early to get serious about it). Because of that, I want to personally help you to retire on your terms by getting on a 30 minute Investment Boosting call with you (completely FREE of charge). On the call, I’ll find out how your investments are performing, what your investment goals are, and we’ll come up with a plan of action to get your goals met. Just click here now to watch this brief video and fill out the simple form and I’ll get it touch.

Investment Strategy

By Brian Bagnall | Uncategorized

by Brian Bagnall

Because investing is not a sure thing in most cases, it is much like a game ñ you don’t know the outcome until the game has been played and a winner has been declared. Anytime you play almost any type of game, you have a strategy. Investing isn’t any different ñ you need an investment strategy.

An investment strategy is basically a plan for investing your money in various types of investments that will help you meet your financial goals in a specific amount of time. Each type of investment contains individual investments that you must choose from. A clothing store sells clothes – but those clothes consist of shirts, pants, dresses, skirts, undergarments, etc. The stock market is a type of investment, but it contains different types of stocks, which all contain different companies that you can invest in.

If you haven’t done your research, it can quickly become very confusing – simply because there are so many different types of investments and individual investments to choose from. This is where your strategy, combined with your risk tolerance and investment style all come into play.

If you are new to investments, work closely with a financial planner before making any investments. They will help you develop an investment strategy that will not only fall within the bounds of your risk tolerance and your investment style, but will also help you achieve your financial goals.

Never invest money without having a goal and a strategy for reaching that goal! This is essential. Nobody hands their money over to anyone without knowing what that money is being used for and when they will get it back! If you don’t have a goal, a plan, or a strategy, that is essentially what you are doing! Always start with a goal and a strategy for reaching that goal!

If you enjoyed this article, please share it!  🙂

P.S. The advice I gave above is good advice but, because I don’t know your specific situation, it is generic advice.  Since you read this article, I can tell that you’re serious about your retirement (and it’s never too early to get serious about it). Because of that, I want to personally help you to retire on your terms by getting on a 30 minute Investment Boosting call with you (completely FREE of charge). On the call, I’ll find out how your investments are performing, what your investment goals are, and we’ll come up with a plan of action to get your goals met. Just click here now to watch this brief video and fill out the simple form and I’ll get it touch.

What Is Your Investment Style?

By Brian Bagnall | Uncategorized

by Brian Bagnall

Knowing what your risk tolerance and investment style are will help you choose investments more wisely. While there are many different types of investments that one can make, there are really only three specific investment styles ñ and those three styles tie in with your risk tolerance. The three investment styles are conservative, moderate, and aggressive.

Naturally, if you find that you have a low tolerance for risk, your investment style will most likely be conservative or moderate at best. If you have a high tolerance for risk, you will most likely be a moderate or aggressive investor. At the same time, your financial goals will also determine what style of investing you use.

If you are saving for retirement in your early twenties, you should use a conservative or moderate style of investing ñ but if you are trying to get together the funds to buy a home in the next year or two, you would want to use an aggressive style.

Conservative investors want to maintain their initial investment. In other words, if they invest $5000 they want to be sure that they will get their initial $5000 back. This type of investor usually invests in common stocks and bonds and short term money market accounts.

An interest earning savings account is very common for conservative investors. A moderate investor usually invests much like a conservative investor, but will use a portion of their investment funds for higher risk investments. Many moderate investors invest 50% of their investment funds in safe or conservative investments, and invest the remainder in riskier investments.

An aggressive investor is willing to take risks that other investors won’t take. They invest higher amounts of money in riskier ventures in the hopes of achieving larger returns – either over time or in a short amount of time. Aggressive investors often have all or most of their investment funds tied up in the stock market.

Again, determining what style of investing you will use will be determined by your financial goals and your risk tolerance. No matter what type of investing you do, however, you should carefully research that investment. Never invest without having all of the facts!

If you enjoyed this article, please share it!  🙂

P.S. The advice I gave above is good advice but, because I don’t know your specific situation, it is generic advice.  Since you read this article, I can tell that you’re serious about your retirement (and it’s never too early to get serious about it). Because of that, I want to personally help you to retire on your terms by getting on a 30 minute Investment Boosting call with you (completely FREE of charge). On the call, I’ll find out how your investments are performing, what your investment goals are, and we’ll come up with a plan of action to get your goals met. Just click here now to watch this brief video and fill out the simple form and I’ll get it touch.

10 Things You Must Start Doing If You Want to Retire on Time

By Brian Bagnall | Uncategorized

by Brian Bagnall

Almost all of us want to retire on time, with the exception being people who are in love with their jobs. We work hard up until a certain point and we are told it so that we no longer have to work when we get older. With how unstable the economy can be there are certain things we need to do to be prepared to retire. Mainly we need to invest in our retirement.

1. Analyzing What You Will Need

In order to know you will be able to retire you will need to know what you need to retire. For that reason you should thoroughly investigate how you spend your money and how much you will need to retire on time. That isn’t where it stops though.   You should regularly check in on the status of what you have saved and insure that your original numbers are still the amount you will need. The economy is constantly changing and more than likely when you start out at 18 it will be different than when it’s time to retire at 65.

2. Select the Right Plan

If you want to retire on time with a decent amount of money you will need to think hard about how you want to save your money. One of the best options for you is to choose an employer plan, as mentioned later on employers try to find the best deals for their employees so they can keep their workers. Failing that you should compare plans and not just choose the first one that you find. You want a plan that will earn you a good amount of money over time and also offers you as many benefits as possible.

3. Set Money Aside Each Month

In order to retire on time one needs to insure that they are setting money aside each month. Some of this should go into a retirement fund and some of it should go into investments. That way you have some money that is guaranteed and some that has the potential to grow. The professionals recommend getting aggressive in order to build a bigger retirement fund. The money you set aside should be for both investing and your rainy day/emergency fund.

4. Watch How You Spend Your Money

You should watch how you spend your money. The more larger purchases that you make the more you are taking money away from what you could be investing for your future. If you are going to go on a vacation or buy a new car use a separate account to purchase it. Do not draw from your retirement fund. Doing so will only hurt you later on. If at all possible withdraw any emergency money from your rainy day fund not your retirement savings. Before you go out and buy the next big electronic device think about whether it is something that you really need and if it is something that will bring you happiness.

5. Save More

As you progress in your career your pay should go up, with that you should start saving more. The same thing goes for bonuses. If you receive a bonus from work, and almost everyone receives at least one sometime in their life, save at least part of it for your retirement fund. That way you can meet your goals quicker. It also never hurts to have extra money saved up in case of an emergency.

6. Save a Rainy Day Fund

Emergencies happen. You get in an accident or hurt yourself and you need money to pay for your bills. Having a rainy day fund will help make sure that you do not need to dip into your investments. It will provide you with a mental pillow so that you don’t have to worry what will happen when you withdraw all of that money. Don’t pull money out of this fund for every day items if you can avoid it, treat it like your investment plan.

7. Extra Investments

Most retirement plans have a minimum amount of money that you can invest each month. Depending on the plan you have the option to invest more money as you grow older. If your plan has this option it is wise to increase the amount of money you invest as it earns interest. Most experts recommend that you invest the maximum amount you can. For most plans that offer this option it kicks in around the age of 50. When looking for a retirement fund they will usually tell you if this is an option before you start to invest.

8. Participate in Employer Retirement Plans

Employer retirement plans are almost always as good option. They set up deals with banks and investment agents in order to provide their employees with a good deal. Remember employers want to keep their employees! Sometimes these plans will also come with matching investments (especially 401Ks). Companies will offer anything from partial matching to full matching. If your employer offers matching of your investments make sure that you take them up on that offer as much as possible.

9. Monitor Your Portfolio

People who rely on their stocks for their income are constantly checking their portfolio. If you are investing for retirement you don’t need to check your stocks hourly or even daily. Instead as long as you check your stocks at least once a year you will be okay. When you check your stocks you want to make sure that you are keeping your portfolio in positive positions. If your portfolio is losing money and not going anywhere you might want to consider redistributing it.

10. Increase the Return on Your Investment

This is absolutely crucial to ensure that you retire on time. In fact, if you are able to obtain better returns on your investments than those of the average American, you can both drastically reduce the time it will take you to retire and considerably increase your monthly budget once you do so.

The best way to understand this is by looking at it graphically. Let’s use an example of someone who starts to save $100 a month for his retirement at age 35, and wants to retire at 65. We’ll project how much his annual contribution of $1,200 will total by the time he retires (30 years later) with a 5% interest rate (what the average American earns on his money) and a 15% interest rate (what my average clients earns).

Annual Contribution	Interest Rate	Total at age 65
$ 1,200.00	5%	$79,762.62
$1,200.00	15%	$521,694.18
*This numbers were calculated using Bloomberg’s retirement calculator at: http://www.bloomberg.com/personal-finance/calculators/retirement/

Shocking isn’t it? Well, this is the impact that investing your money like a pro can have on your long term financial future. There are two ways in which you can make this happen. You can (and probably know you should, bust just don’t have the time) invest some serious time and money into your financial education. After a couple years of reading books, attending seminars, buying courses and experiencing the inevitable failures that come with learning, you will most definitely be able to achieve a ROI (return on your investment) of 15% and even higher.

The second way for you to make this happen is to hire a coach who has a proven track record of consistently helping his clients earn outstanding ROI on their investments. Spending even an hour of your time with someone who has years of experience, knowledge and success under his or her belt can skyrocket your results, especially if they help you design a custom tailored strategy for your specific investment goals and current situation.

While there are many renowned experts who can help you boost your investment’s ROI, there are also many “experts” who will do more harm than good. So always, always, make sure you perform an extensive research before you trust someone with your financial future.

Now, if you have come to trust me as an expert in my field, there is a way in which I can help you design a custom tailored plan of action that’s specific for you, your current situation and your goals. Every month, I hold 10 Investment Boosting sessions in which I get on the phone with people who are committed to improving their financial future.

While the spots may be filled out by the time you read this, you can learn more about how the process works and apply for an Investment Boosting session by clicking here.

If I do get to jump on the phone with you, you’ll walk away with a plan of action that you can implement immediately to double and even triple your current ROI.

If for any reason we don’t get to talk, I still strongly encourage you to find a coach who has a proven success record. It can cut years off your retirement plan and seriously increase the money you’ll have available once you do.

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