Start Early to Retire Rich

Starting early and sticking with a disciplined saving habit is perhaps the only way to tide over the huge problem of unfunded retirement that most Indians are likely to face in their twilight years.

While the world has slowly come to terms with the damage caused by the sub-prime crisis, many financial analysts are now warning that even greater economic threat is looming – the massive shortfall in funding for workers’ retirement. Sample this: In the US, consumers and government organizations would need to add $6.6 trillion to their existing funds to allow pensioners to maintain their standard of living.

A report commissioned by the European Central Bank states that across 19 of the EU nations, state-funded pension obligations total approximately $37 trillion, about five times more than their combined gross debt. It will be much more difficult for Indians, as a large majority is not touched by any kind of pension scheme. The previous generation had to save for retirement but the current generation will have to invest for a comfortable post-retirement life. Given the fact that Indians are living longer, 75 and above, coupled with high inflation, the need for retirement planning is increasing at a fast pace.

In India, families are becoming smaller and due to geographical labour mobility, children are increasingly likely to be separated from their parents. Changing social values have made the joint family unattractive for the urban younger generation. Most likely, this is only going to get worse. This means, those who are now in their 30s and 40s need to take retirement planning as the most important goal and start working towards it before it is too late. Gone are the days when one could completely bank on their children to take care of them.

Earlier, public provident fund (PPF) and fixed deposits along with post office savings were considered the smartest way to save towards Retirement Plan Company. Times have changed now. With increasing consumption demand, the prices are shooting through the roof. This leads to the question: Is it possible to retire rich and if yes, how? Many couples, when they meet a financial planner for the first time, get excited when they are told that a Rs 10,000 monthly SIP in an equity fund can grow to Rs one crore in 20 years’ time at a 12% annualized return. The excitement soon vanishes when they are told that given their current expenses, it’s only one-fourth of what they would actually require.

It is not difficult to retire rich, provided one starts early. Though investment planning is a complex process, especially planning for retirement, disciplined investments done for a long time will ensure you are able to sail through comfortably. There are many other options, which one can explore alongside investing in mutual funds, such as pension schemes, in stocks, and investing in hybrid products. Keeping it simple is the mantra along with making cosmetic changes from time to time, based on change in income and various life stages.

You may get yourself in an extremely difficult situation if you depend on your children for your post-retirement life, and they neglect you when you need them most.

[Source: https://www.tomorrowmakers.com/articles/retirement/start-early-to-retire-rich]