If you’re in your 30s, now is the time to prioritize investment

Your 30s are a time of transition. While you are no longer in the beginning years of adulthood, retirement is still far away. Investing may seem like less of priority than starting a family, purchasing a home or paying off student loans.

While these are important goals, your 30s are a crucial decade for investing. According to finance writer Paula Pant in an article for The Balance, if you begin saving for retirement at age 30, you will need to save at least 15 percent of your income to retire at age 65.

Whether you’ve already prioritized investing or need a place to begin, these are some options to help you build wealth and save for retirement.

 

  1. Focus on your 401(k)

If your employer offers a 401(k), maxing it out is one of the most important investing steps you can take in your 30s. According to the IRS, the maximum you can contribute in 2018 is $18,500. Your contributions are taken from your paycheck before taxes and are not taxed until you make withdrawals for retirement. “Perhaps best of all, many employers will match your contributions, at least up to a cap,” finance writer Arielle O’Shea notes in a February 2017 article for NerdWallet. “That’s free money you won’t find through other offerings.” If you’re unable to contribute the maximum amount to your 401(k), taking full advantage of your employer’s match is a good place to start.

 

  1. Consider a Roth IRA

If you’ve maxed out your 401(k), or if you don’t have access to one, consider opening a Roth IRA. According to O’Shea, Roth IRA contributions “go in after tax, which means no tax in retirement. Your money also grows tax-free in a Roth IRA.” For 2018, the IRS says you can contribute $5,500 to a Roth IRA unless your income is above $120,000.

 

  1. Other investment accounts

Beyond your 401(k) and Roth IRA contributions, investing in stocks is another avenue to consider. Picking individual stocks is one option, although successfully doing so requires a high level of research and expertise. Another option is an index fund. According to finance writer Dayana Yochim in an August 2017 article for NerdWallet, “When investors buy an index fund, they get a well-rounded selection of many stocks in one package without having to purchase each individually. And because these funds simply hold all the investments in a given index … management fees tend to be low. The result: Higher investment returns for individual investors.”

 

  1. Investment risk

Any investment involves risk. However, O’Shea writes, “Risk is one reason there’s such emphasis on investing when you’re young—young people have a long time horizon before retirement, which means they can worry less about short-term volatility. That allows them to accept risks that should lead to higher average returns over the long term.” For example, stocks offer a higher return on investment, but they are also riskier. Bonds and mutual funds carry less risk but a lower return rate. A more aggressive investment strategy for your 30s might emphasize a heavier allocation of stocks with a smaller percentage of bonds. Then, as you get older, you can slowly shift your investments to focus on safer holdings.

 

While in your 30s, it is important to prioritize investing in retirement, especially if you’re only just getting started. Whether that’s the case or you’re building on what you’ve invested, the additional effort will help put you on the path to peace of mind and a secure retirement.