4 Simple Steps for a More Comfortable Retirement

Unless you were born into wealth or were lucky enough to get a high-paying job with a fabulous pension, your retirement won’t be a one-and-done situation. Building a comfortable retirement will be a series of strategies.

For example, having a 401(k) is great, but you also need plenty of cash savings. A paid-off home is a huge asset, but other forms of consumer debt could sandbag your dreams. A healthy Social Security benefit certainly helps, but not everyone can expect one of those.

Simply put, if you want a happy, comfortable retirement, there are specific steps to take, no matter your age. These tactics can help.

1. Take this quiz to see if you can retire comfortably

Maybe you never thought much about what retirement actually is, other than “that golden time when I no longer have to punch a clock.” But there’s a bit more to it than that, and SmartAsset's free quiz helps clarify things both financially and personally.

Some of us are hesitant to look our retirement finances in the eye. It’s like stepping on a scale, or going to the dentist: What if the news isn’t good? But that’s where SmartAsset can set your mind at ease.

SmartAsset uses your quiz answers to match you with an experienced money planner in your area. This financial expert will go over your financials, then work with you to create a plan for the retirement you want.

Some people think they can manage their own retirement planning, thank you very much, but keep this in mind: A recent Vanguard study showed that a hypothetical self-managed $500,000 would turn into $1.69 million in 25 years, on average – whereas a financial adviser could turn those same bucks into $3.4 million.

Here’s what else a skilled financial adviser can provide: clarity. Maybe you haven’t considered what you want to do in retirement (other than sleep late). What might your retirement lifestyle look like: spending time with loved ones, traveling, volunteering? Staying where you are now, or relocating? Kicking back 24/7, or starting an encore career?

SmartAsset will match you with a planner who can help define your retirement dreams and fund them. Get started by taking this free quiz.

(Please carefully review the methodologies employed in the Vanguard white paper, “Putting a Value on your Value: Quantifying Vanguard Advisor’s Alpha.”)

2. Don’t let home repairs drain your bank account

Home repairs aren’t cheap. Whether it’s a leaky roof or a broken appliance, your home can quickly become a nightmare and cost you hundreds or even thousands of dollars to fix.

But you don’t have to worry. Luckily, with a home warranty company called America's 1st Choice Home Club, you can safeguard yourself against giant repair bills. From home appliances to electrical, plumbing, heating and cooling systems, it can all be protected.

Plus, their in-house service team is available 24/7 to help and ensure a hassle-free repair process if anything goes wrong. You can even choose your own technician, or they can send you one from their nationwide network if you don’t have someone in mind.

All over America, homeowners are choosing AFC Home Club for the savings, service and peace of mind that it delivers.

Stop worrying about household breakdowns, and get a free quote in 30 seconds.

3. Protect your wealth with gold

We’ve all experienced it. I’m talking about inflation. The government prints money, the value of the dollar declines and prices go higher on everything from pickles to pickups.

In 2022, inflation was worse than it has been in 40 years.

How to fight back? One way is with gold. Gold has historically held its value over time, making it an ideal asset to protect against inflation.

So, if you’re worried about out-of-control politicians and rampant government spending, gold could be part of the answer. It’s one of the few things that can shelter your lifestyle from the ravages of rising prices.

How do you get started? First, don’t go overboard; most pros advise putting only about 10% of your savings into gold. And keep in mind that not everyone in the gold business is on the up-and-up. Be careful whom you deal with.

Goldco is one company to consider. You can invest in a “gold IRA” done strictly to Internal Revenue Service regulations. They offer just about everything, from precious metal IRAs to direct purchases of precious metal coins and bars.

They have an A+ BBB Rating, AAA Rating from Business Consumers Alliance and 4.8 to 5 stars on Trustpilot, Trustlink, Google Reviews and Consumer Affairs.

Protect and secure your retirement. Click here right now and get your free information kit.

4. Have a plan for medical costs Medicare won’t cover

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 7 in 10 people who turn 65 today will probably need some kind of long-term care.

Think you can’t get long-term care (LTC) insurance after age 40? Think again. GoldenCare writes LTC coverage for most people. (Unless they live in the four states where GoldenCare doesn’t operate: Alaska, Florida, Hawaii and Washington.)

“But won’t Medicare take care of all that?” Nope. Medicare doesn’t cover long-term custodial care — and paying for it out of pocket could take a huge chunk of your retirement savings. That plus inflation could mean near or total depletion of your nest egg.

Without LTC insurance, your options aren’t great: running through savings, borrowing money, burdening your family with your care, and possibly losing independence because you can’t live on your own.

It’s impossible to say whether your current health will stay good. That’s why investigating long-term care insurance is so important: It protects you and your family.

Plan now for a secure tomorrow. Get your fast, free quote today.

Bonus: Get a free $991.20 every year

You get it. This is the time to sock away money, to save more, to get your finances in order.

But you also get that it’s not always easy. If there were just one easy thing you could do every day to move the needle, to get ahead of the game, you’d do it, right?

Well, here it is: Take five minutes every day and check out the totally free Money Talks Newsletter. More than a million Americans have, and they’ve reported saving an average of $991.20 each year by checking our news and advice.

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