5 Steps to Retirement Planning in 2024: An Introduction and How-to Guide

In five short steps, we'll give you ideas on building and managing your retirement money.
intro-retirement-planning-guide

Many, or all, of the products featured on this page are from our advertising partners who compensate us when you take certain actions on our website or click to take an action on their website. However, this does not influence our evaluations. Our opinions are our own. Here is a list of our partners and here's how we make money.


The investing information provided on this page is for educational purposes only. NerdWallet, Inc. does not offer advisory or brokerage services, nor does it recommend or advise investors to buy or sell particular stocks, securities or other investments.

Updated · 3 min read
Profile photo of Tina Orem
Written by Tina Orem
Assistant Assigning Editor
Profile photo of Arielle O'Shea
Edited by Arielle O'Shea
Lead Assigning Editor
Fact Checked
Profile photo of June Sham
Co-written by June Sham
Lead Writer

A financially secure retirement starts with making a plan now. You may not want to work forever or be able to rely fully on Social Security, so thinking ahead has its benefits.

There are a few steps to making a financial plan for retirement, starting with how much money you'll need and your own priorities, then moving on to what kind of account you want, where to open it, and which investments to choose.

When can you retire?

When you can retire comes down to when you want to retire and when you'll have enough money saved to replace the income you receive from working.

  • The earliest you can start claiming Social Security benefits is age 62

    Social Security Administration. Retirement Age and Benefit Reduction. Accessed Jun 20, 2024.
    . However, by filing early, you'll sacrifice a portion of your benefits. If you were born in 1960 or later, the full retirement age (which is also the full Social Security benefits age) is 67. And your benefit will actually increase if you can delay it further, up until age 70.

  • Some people retire early (because they want or have to), and many retire later (again, because they want or have to). Many people find it's best to slowly ease out of the workforce rather than retire abruptly.

Video preview image

5 steps for retirement planning

Retirement planning has several steps, with the end goal of having enough money to quit working and do whatever you want. Our aim with this retirement planning guide is to help you achieve that goal.

1. Know when to start retirement planning


When should you start retirement planning? That's up to you, but the earlier you start planning, the more time your money has to grow.

That said, it’s never too late to start retirement planning, so don't feel like you've missed the boat if you haven't started. Even if you haven’t so much as considered retirement, every dollar you can save now will be much appreciated later. Strategically investing could mean you won't be playing catch-up for long.

2. Figure out how much money you need to retire


The amount of money you need to retire is a function of your current income and expenses, and how you think those expenses may change in retirement. For example, consider what in your life you'd still like to keep, such as vacations and dinners out, as well as what costs might stick around, such as car and home maintenance costs.

The typical advice is to replace 70% to 90% of your annual pre-retirement income through savings and Social Security. With this strategy, a retiree who earns around $63,000 per year before retirement should expect to need $44,000 to $57,000 per year in retirement.

3. Prioritize your financial goals


Retirement is probably not your only savings goal. Lots of people have financial goals they feel are more pressing, such as paying down credit card or student loan debt or building up an emergency fund.

It's a good rule if thumb to save for retirement while you're building your emergency fund — especially if you have an employer retirement plan that matches any portion of your contributions.

4. Choose the best retirement plan for you


A cornerstone of retirement planning is determining not only how much to save, but also where to save it.

  • If you have a 401(k) or other employer retirement plan with matching dollars, consider starting there.

  • If you don’t have a workplace retirement plan, you can open your own retirement account.

There is no single best retirement plan, but there is likely a best retirement plan — or combination of retirement accounts — for you. In general, the best plans provide tax advantages, and, if available, an additional savings incentive, such as matching contributions. That's why, in many cases, a 401(k) with an employer match is the best place to start for many people.

💸 If you don't have access to a workplace plan (or the one you're offered doesn't come with a match), or you’re already contributing to a 401(k) and you’re looking for the best options for additional retirement savings, you may want to consider an IRA.

» Learn more: How to open an IRA

Here are seven types of retirement plans that might work for you:

5. Select your retirement investments


Retirement accounts provide access to a range of investments, including stocks, bonds and mutual funds. Determining the right mix of retirement investments depends on how long you have until you need the money and how comfortable you are with risk.

  • Generally, the idea is to invest aggressively when you’re young, and then slowly dial back to a more conservative mix of investments as you approach retirement age. That’s because early on you have a lot of time for your money to weather market fluctuations — a few bad years won’t ruin you, and your nest egg should benefit greatly from the stock market’s history of long-term growth. Investing for retirement evolves alongside you as you change jobs, add to your family tree, endure stock market ups and downs and get closer to your retirement date.

  • Your investments don't necessarily require constant babysitting. If you want to manage your retirement savings on your own, you can do it with just a handful of low-cost mutual funds. Those who prefer professional guidance can hire a financial advisor.

Get more smart money moves – straight to your inbox
Sign up and we’ll send you Nerdy articles about the money topics that matter most to you along with other ways to help you get more from your money.

Get matched with a trusted financial advisor for free with NerdWallet Advisors Match.

    on NerdWallet Advisors Match

    AD