People sometimes think of financial planning as something they'll do once they hit 40. The truth is, it's better to begin as early as possible. That first "real" job in your 20s is the perfect time to develop the habit of setting aside money into a retirement fund that hopefully will let you retire with some comfort in your 60s.
Why is this so important? Well, money grows if it's set aside into an interest bearing account. Your money works for you and can help you retire gracefully. Or, if you have a life event that wipes you out economically, you have something that you can rely on while you get back on your feet. Many, many people have used up their retirement savings over these past few tough economic years and are now starting over in terms of putting money into a retirement fund. They're so grateful that they had that money set aside which became their daily expense fund through a medical or job emergency that left them financially strapped.
For some thoughtful posts on how to think about future planning for your money, I go to a colleague's website, Money and the Spirit, for a brief refresher. Isaias has a nice way of linking our thinking about this with the "real world" we all live in. It's good advice and before you know it, the future is our "real world" and it would nice if we had some financial cushion to let us live and age gracefully through retirement.
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