Six Ways to Build Your Retirement Savings
Follow this strategy to have enough for your golden years.
1. Contribute at least enough to your 401(k) plan to capture your employer's match, and bump up future contributions automatically.
2. If you are 50 or older, make additional "catch-up" contributions of up to $5,000 a year.
3. If you own a business, take advantage of tax breaks and shift the additional money to savings.
From just $107.88 $24.99 for Kiplinger Personal Finance
Be a smarter, better informed investor.
Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free Newsletters
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.
4. Don't raid your retirement accounts early. You'll lose the benefits of compounding.
5. Plan to work a few years longer to fatten your kitty and your Social Security check.
6. If you are already retired, reduce your annual withdrawals until the stock market bounces back.
| Row 0 - Cell 0 | Catch Up on Retirement Savings |
| Row 1 - Cell 0 | How Working Longer Adds Up |
| Row 2 - Cell 0 | The Cost to Crack Your Nest Egg |
Profit and prosper with the best of Kiplinger's advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and much more. Delivered daily. Enter your email in the box and click Sign Me Up.
-
I'm 54 with a $320,000 IRA and will soon be self-employed, earning about $120,000 per year. How much should I be saving for retirement?We asked financial experts for advice.
-
This High-Performance Investment Vehicle Can Pump Up WealthLeave online real estate investing to the beginners. Accredited investors who want real growth need the wealth-building potential of Delaware statutory trusts.
-
457 Plan Contribution Limits for 2025Retirement plans There are higher 457 plan contribution limits for state and local government workers in 2025. That's good news for state and local government employees.
-
Medicare Basics: 12 Things You Need to KnowMedicare There's Medicare Part A, Part B, Part D, Medigap plans, Medicare Advantage plans and so on. We sort out the confusion about signing up for Medicare — and much more.
-
The Seven Worst Assets to Leave Your Kids or Grandkidsinheritance Leaving these assets to your loved ones may be more trouble than it’s worth. Here's how to avoid adding to their grief after you're gone.
-
SEP IRA Contribution Limits for 2025SEP IRA A good option for small business owners, SEP IRAs allow individual annual contributions of as much as $70,000 in 2025, up from $69,000 in 2024.
-
Roth IRA Contribution Limits for 2026Roth IRAs Roth IRAs allow you to save for retirement with after-tax dollars while you're working, and then withdraw those contributions and earnings tax-free when you retire. Here's a look at 2026 limits and income-based phaseouts.
-
SIMPLE IRA Contribution Limits for 2026simple IRA For 2026, the SIMPLE IRA contribution limit rises to $17,000, with a $4,000 catch-up for those 50 and over, totaling $21,000.
-
457 Contribution Limits for 2024retirement plans State and local government workers can contribute more to their 457 plans in 2024 than in 2023.
-
Roth 401(k) Contribution Limits for 2026retirement plans The Roth 401(k) contribution limit for 2026 increased, and workers who are 50 and older can save even more.