Most people save for retirement with traditional types of IRAs. However, if you want to ensure you have adequate amounts of funds by the time you retire, you will have to think beyond the traditional IRA. If you have plans for cruising around the world or buying a beach house in retirement, then savvy investments will be needed to make sure dreams in the sunset years come true. Here are several tips for investing that will ensure you have more than enough funds to retire in comfort:
Start a Roth IRA
The main advantage of a Roth IRA over a traditional IRA is that your retirement funds will get a tax break, explains professional investor Jason Sugarman. When you withdraw retirement funds, you won’t have to pay taxes because you would have paid taxes with contributions. Paying taxes in your younger, income-earning years is the smart option rather than paying a hefty tax on your withdrawals.
Consider Having a Self-Directed IRA
After you have made a certain amount of contributions to your IRA, you have the option to switch to a self-directed IRA. Your account will have a trustee but you have a say in how the money is invested. If you are interested, you could add precious metal coins or bullion to your self-directed IRA to act as a hedge against a future financial crisis.
Invest in Real Estate
Real estate investments are highly popular among most investors. Property prices may go down in extreme scenarios such as the 2008 financial crisis, but property always remains valuable. If you want to retire to a beach house, consider buying that beach house now. You can obtain a mortgage on it and rent it out now to cover the mortgage with the rental income. If you do this right, you could own the beach house by the time you retire. If you can acquire property investments now, you will have more passive forms of income when you retire. Keep in mind that real estate investments should be done when you are young. Don’t plan on investing in the real estate market when you are older. If an investment goes sideways, you will lose money and have no way to earn it back.
Consider Non-Conventional Investment Vehicles
The stock market is not the only way regular income earners could get rich. There are plenty of other investment vehicles most regular income earners don’t consider, says Jason Sugarman. For example, investing in sports teams, or even the rising e-sports industry, is a great way to boost retirement savings. If you are a sports fan, consider investing in a team you know can win. But don’t invest in sports you know nothing about, even if these sports are very popular. Knowing the game is crucial to making good investments in traditional sports.
Last but not least, don’t forget to pay off all debts to retire comfortably without financial worries. Rein in unnecessary spending now and save or invest that money instead. Regular wage earners could also consider relatively low-risk investment options like treasury bonds and certificates of deposit.