Katherine Morley 
Having a retirement plan means having enough savings to live a comfortable life after retirement. Most Americans do not have proper retirement plans, and this leads to the dependence on social security after your retirement. The social security allowance is sometimes not enough to allow you to continue your current lifestyle after retirement, and that is why you should consider having a retirement plan.
A retirement plan helps you and your family stay within the safe limits of finance. It means that you will always have some money to rely on even after you are not earning anymore. Retirement plans offer security to you and your family. You can totally rely on a good retirement plan. When you are earning, that is the best time to set a retirement plan for yourself. You can pick any retirement plan that complies with your income. You can choose any retirement plan from the many options you have.
Here are the details of some of the top retirement plans;
Individuals Custom Retirement Plans:
Individual retirement plans are usually offered to the employers by the companies that they work for. These retirement plans cover the individual retirement funds and support one person’s living. Suppose your company gives you an individual retirement plan. You should save some money other than the retirement plan and use it for your retirement years.
Traditional IRA:
Traditional IRAs can be set up by anyone who earns taxable income. This means that you have enough income to make you a tax-paying citizen; you can also set up a traditional IRA plan for yourself. It is a type of individual retirement plan, and you can contribute up to 6,000 dollars per year in a traditional IRA. If you are 50 years of age or older, you can do up to 7,000 dollars per year.
Once you are older than 59 years, your IRA distributions will be taxed as regular income. There are many ways you can set up funds and keep them for your retirement. The traditional IRA is mostly tax-deductible.
ROTH IRA:
Roth IRAs are for those who do not earn enough to pay the taxes. This type of individual’s retirement plan is non-tax deductible. This means that you can contribute to your Roth IRA without having to pay the taxes. You can set up this retirement plan if you do not have a high income. You can also withdraw money from your Roth IRA before retirement without having to pay any penalty. This means that your ROTH IRA also acts as your emergency fund.
The annual contribution limits of Roth IRA are the same as traditional IRA. You can only contribute to a Roth IRA if you earn 139,000 or less in a year in the case of an individual’s retirement plan. If you are setting up a plan as a couple, you need to have a collective couple’s income of 208,000 or less. This is for married couples.
Spousal IRA:
A spousal IRA is a retirement plan that works for married couples. Married couples can use this kind of retirement plan to increase or double their retirement funds. When one of them earns less or does not earn, they can open up a spousal IRA in their name and contribute from the income of the household. This helps maximize the retirement savings for the couple.
Fixed Annuities:
Annuities are a type of insurance that adds to your retirement savings or retirement plans. A fixed annuity is a form of annuity that offers predictable benefits, which include tax-deferred growth, death benefits that they shall pay to the beneficiary in case you pass away.
Best Employer-Sponsored Custom Retirement Plans:
An employer-sponsored retirement plan is one of the benefits that you get from your employer. This is one of the best job benefits as it allows you to set up a custom plan for your retirement. In this way, you will have a retirement plan after you retire from work.
Employees get a 401(k) or some other retirement plan from the employer. The different plans that an employer offers to the employees include:
- Traditional 401 (K):
- ROTH 401 (K)
- 403(B) Plan
- 457 (b) plan
Benefits of having a Custom Retirement Plan:
Here are some benefits that you get if you have a retirement plan for your future:
Peace of Mind:
If you get a retirement plan, it will give you peace of mind. You will not have to stress about the finances after you are retired. The lack of planning leads to uncertainty, and that causes stress in old age.
Cost Savings:
You can reduce the cost of your life insurance policies and other lifestyle costs by starting a retirement plan early in life. You can buy retirement plans at cost and better benefits when you are young. Rather than waiting until you get old, it’s better to invest in a retirement plan as soon as you can.
Legacy Opportunities:
Retirement planning not only helps you in old age but can also prove to be very beneficial for your heirs. You get options to leave your legacy for your family and children. You can do this with proper planning and secure your future. It also allows you to create a safety blanket for your children.
You can use your retirement savings as emergency funds anytime, so it’s a win-win.
Conclusion:
Having proper life plans is very important. Retirement is inevitable for all of us. When you work hard your whole life, you deserve a peaceful and comfortable retired life. People dream about having retirement homes and vacation their whole lives. They view retirement as the time when they can finally live in peace. This is only possible if you have invested in a good retirement plan and saved some money.
When you are earning, it is easy to save money, but once you retire and stop earning, there is no money coming in anymore. So it’s important that you plan your retirement years and put aside some money so that you can enjoy these peaceful years of your life without having to worry about your finances.
