|
Top Ways to Increase Your Net
Worth
Talk with your plan administrator
Contact your employer’s benefit representative to learn the
details of your plan. In summary, you must first reach the
statutory limit of $15,500 in 2008, or other required limit
before you are eligible to make catch-up contributions.
Furthermore, employers are not required to match catch-up
contributions.
Pay Yourself First
The catch-up contribution is a great opportunity to invest more
dollars into your retirement account. However, some 50-year old
individuals are embarking on life-changing financial events in
their personal lives or careers, where they are in the midst of
starting a new marriage or second family, going through
financial upheaval from a marital divorce, finishing a first or
second college degree, trying to pay down credit card debt,
making mortgage payments on a new home or second mortgage,
providing for adult children who remain or return home, or
suffering the loss of a spouse. Even in light of these pressing
circumstances, try to turn your attention on your future
retirement needs. It’s easy to be distracted by these tough and
emotional matters, but you need to consider your own financial
future as well.
Talk with your personal financial advisor
If you are faced with any of these financial challenges and
feel that you just cannot make additional contributions, talk
with your employer’s benefit representative or your personal
financial consultant for advice on how to take advantage of
this provision. Now is the time—it’s not too late.
Assets
An investment is an asset (money or something of value) set
aside for future sale or use. Examples: savings accounts,
property, stocks, bonds, mutual funds, individual retirement
accounts (IRA), pension funds, emergency funds, rare coins,
precious metals, and gems.
Balance
While it is very common for most people to have credit card
debt and owe bills, it is important to pay down your debt. As
you reduce your debt, the value of your investments will
increase—much like tipping a weighing scale
Career
Your ability to earn money from gainful employment or
entrepreneurship is one of your greatest assets. While you may
have graduated from college many years ago, it’s important to
protect your investment in your career by taking continuous
training or retraining to remain competitive in the job
market.
Diversify
According to the old adage, “you should never put all your eggs
in the same basket.” Avoid investing all your funds in the same
type of investment or the same type of industry.
Expenses
Expenses are payments and charges—for tangible and intangible
items—necessary and unnecessary—that cause money to come out of
your wallet, bank account or other reserve. It’s important to
evaluate your spending to determine where you can eliminate
unnecessary
Growth
When making an investment, it is important to realize whether
it will grow at a steady and continuous pace (e.g., interest
rates on bank accounts) or will the investment be affected by
market trends (e.g., real estate and stocks).
According to Marotta Asset Management, everyone should compute
their net worth once a year. They also state that, “By age
forty-five you should be worth at least five and a half times
your annual spending. Between 40 and 60 you should increase
your net worth by half your annual take home pay every year.”
What does this exactly mean for the net worth of an average
40-something?
Your income is expanding in your 40s, as well as your debt.
This is at least typical in America today. There is also less
time to recover from financial mistakes. The median income for
40-something households, nearly $58,000, is about 20% higher
than for 30-something households, according to the Federal
Reserve’s latest Survey of Consumer Finances.
|