Investment

How To Maximize Your Investment Savings

If you’ve ever wondered if a penny saved today will really be worth a lot more than pennies than a penny saved tomorrow,

then I encourage you take a look at some simple math:

If you put $1 away at age 20, that dollar would be worth $21 by age 65, assuming an average 7 percent return over the years.

If you wait until 30 to invest that same $1, it will be worth $10.68. Start at 40 and you will have $5.43.

Wait until you turn 50 to invest that same $1 and you’ll get a measly $2.76.

So a dollar invested at age 20 is nearly twice as productive as a dollar invested at 30 and 7.5 times

as powerful as a buck that gets put to work at age 50!

Hopefully you have already started saving and if you haven’t, then the time to start is today. Every day

that you wait is costing you serious money.

Keep in mind that you need to have a plan to maximize your return. A great blueprint for optimizing your

is my Hierarchy of Investment Savings which outlines where to put your money

Hierarchy of Investment Savings: From Top to Bottom

Level 1: Emergency Cash Savings

At the very top of your hierarchy or pyramid of investment savings should be your emergency cash savings

. The amount of emergency cash on hand should be able to cover 3-6 months of fixed expenses and should be

held in a money market account or in other very liquid investments. Use this money only for true emergencies,

such as job loss or catastrophic medical costs.

Level 2: Short Term Cash

Your next level is for short term cash which should cover expenses coming due in 1-3 years. This should not be

confused with emergency savings; this money should be used if you have a known large expense coming up in

the next 12 to 18 months, like a down payment on a house or a new roof. It doesn’t make sense to have your emergency

fund wiped out due to a planned financial event, even if it’s a year or year and a half away.

Level 3: Match Your Employer’s 401k Contributions

Now it’s time to match your employer contributions. You’ll want to contribute what your employer is willing to match for free to your 401k.

Level 4: Roth IRA

Next, start funding- and try to fully fund- a Roth IRA. Contributions are made with after tax dollars and can be withdrawn at any time.

Just be sure to understand how much you can take out without incurring a penalty. Once you reach 59 ½, all withdrawals are tax-free.

Additionally, unlike a traditional IRA that requires minimum withdrawals at age 70 ½, there is no mandatory distribution age with a Roth IRA.

To find out the eligibility requirements for a Roth IRA, click here.

Level 5: Max Out Your 401k

After funding your Roth IRA, go back and max out your 401k if possible. In 2016, the maximum contribution is $18,000.

If you can put away $18,000 each year with the hopeful added benefit of your employer’s matching 401k program, your

money will build up quickly.

Level 6: Taxable investments

If you have done all of the above and still have money to save, you can put those funds in a brokerage account. Whether you

manage your money on your own or have someone else manage it, be sure that you are in a well-balanced diversified portfolio

that will earn dividends, interest, and distributions.

Have you started saving yet? If not, the time is now. Use the Hierarchy of Investment Savings to help you maximize your return.

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For valuable financial tools and information on how to set yourself up for a happy retirement, check these out:

Social Security Optimizer, Retirement Calculator, 401k Allocator, Money & Happiness Quiz, Is It Time For An Economic

Shutdown? and You Can Retire Sooner Than You Think

Disclosure: This information is provided to you as a resource for informational purposes only.

It is being presented without consideration of the investment objectives, risk tolerance or financial circumstances

of any specific investor and might not be suitable for all investors. Past performance is not indicative of future results.

Investing involves risk including the possible loss of principal. This information is not intended to, and should not,

form a primary basis for any investment decision that you may make. Always consult your own legal, tax or investment

advisor before making any investment/tax/estate/financial planning considerations or decisions