Most investors think of IRA as a hand-off, long-term investment tool. However, that doesn’t mean one should ignore it completely. Remember that your IRA is meant to add significant comfort to your retired life. This year, focus your attention on this aspect of your retirement savings as well. And, make sure you’re keeping the following common mistakes at arm’s length.
1. Failing to Fully Fund It
We understand that investing in IRA is not even half as interesting as trading with a brokerage firm. Still, if you’re ignoring your tax-advantaged IRA to invest in your other taxable investing accounts, experts might not be too pleased with your decision. Fully contributing to your IRA this year means adding $6000 to your account if you’re under 50. According to Robert Johson, Economic Index Associates’ CEO and chartered financial analyst, by ignoring your IRA, you forego a massive opportunity to grow your wealth tax-free. It is very common for people to take a tax-free account for granted.
Note that there is a difference between traditional and Roth IRA, with Roth being non-tax-deductible and traditional being tax-deductible.
2. Not Taking Enough Risk
A common misconception is that risks are bad. Now whoever said that? Often, ‘risk’ is just a four-letter word. And that isn’t any more true than it is in your 20s and 30s. When you’re young and have a long way to go before retirement, you should definitely take risks to try your hand at potentially higher returns. Advisors state that at this stage, your portfolio can be largely stock-based. You don’t need to switch to safer investment vehicles until you’re in your 40s.
Think of it this way: being too conservative is no good. In fact, this might cause you to limit your long-term gains, causing a failure to hit retirement goals. Strike that fine balance as you near retirement but at the beginning, you need to chase the gains.
3. Not Exploring Your Options
Most people start an IRA after rolling over a 401(k) issued by their workplace. This opens a world of possibilities as IRA provides most investment options as compared to the 401(k). You can go all-in with whatever strategy or stocks you deem most suitable. The beauty of the IRA is that it can be tailored to your needs – and you should take full advantage of that.
To Sum It Up
Retired life isn’t easy if a comfortable heap of savings doesn’t back you. As such, you need to pay attention to every tool you have at your disposal to ensure a comfortable life after breaking away from the job market.
