Terms of Use

Retirement probably seems vague and far off when you're young. Besides, you have other things to save for and buy right now. Yet there are some crucial reasons to start preparing now for retirement.

You'll probably have to pay for more of your own retirement than earlier generations. The sooner you get started, the better.

You have one huge ally - time. Let's say that you put $1,000 at the beginning of each year into an IRA from age 20 through age 30 (11 years) and then never put in another dime. The account earns 7 percent annually. When you retire at age 65 you'll have $168,514 in the account. A friend doesn't start until age 30, but saves the same amount annually for 35 years straight. Despite putting in three times as much money, your friend's account grows to only $147,913.

You can start small and grow. Even setting aside a small portion of your paycheck each month will pay off in big dollars later.

You can afford to invest more aggressively. You have years to overcome the inevitable ups and downs of the market.

Developing the habit of saving for retirement is easier when you are young.