The old adage of ‘the earlier you start to save for retirement, the better’ holds true today especially today. Here are a few questions you should ask yourself when starting to think about your options:

How much should I save?

Try to start out at around 15 percent, and that’s a minimum figure — 15 percent of your salary. It should be as easy putting that much away and more into a 401(k) plan. If you have a 401(k) with a match, up to half can of your savings can come from your employer.

Where should I invest my savings?

Index funds are a great way to get started since they allow you a wide range of investments including funds that invest in domestic stocks and bonds, and international stocks. A solid investment portfolio mixes equal parts of all three. The key aspect of an index fund is that it is generally cheaper.

What if I have a low paying job that doesn’t allow me to save much? (more…)