Whether you’re just starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel, or you’re already retired, there are money moves you need to make to ensure your golden years are golden.
What you want is a happy, stress-free life. How you’ll get it is with ideas like these.
1. Make sure you’re on the right track
Wherever you are in life, it’s critical to ensure you’re on the right path.
One of the best ways to do that is to enlist the help of a knowledgeable professional. Even if you’ve managed your finances your entire life and consider yourself an expert, getting feedback from an objective observer never hurts.
Even doctors go to doctors for periodic checkups.
The value of working with an adviser varies by person, but according to one independent study, people who work with a financial adviser feel more at ease about their finances and could end up with about 15% more money to spend in retirement.
While there’s obviously no guarantee, if an adviser can increase your returns, it could make a big difference. Consider this: if you save $500 a month for 40 years and earn an average annual return of 5%, you’ll end up with nearly $725,000. Double that return to 10%, and you’ll retire with almost $2.7 million.
That’s a life-changing difference.
But who can you trust for guidance? In the past, you’d have to turn to a stranger and take your chances. But that was then.
These days there are no-cost online services that make discovering your ideal financial adviser a snap.
You fill out a short questionnaire, then get matched with up to three local fiduciary financial advisers, all legally bound to work in your best interests. The process only takes a few minutes, and in many cases you can be connected instantly with an expert for a free retirement consultation.
Use SmartAsset’s free matching service to connect with three qualified financial advisers in your area in five minutes. It’s a great way to replace uncertainty with peace of mind.
2. Diversify with gold
Putting all your money in one place – stocks, bonds, crypto, whatever – is a recipe for losing wealth, not building it. Diversification is key to financial security. Here’s an easy way to start: Buy gold and/or other precious metals from Goldco.
Goldco offers just about everything, from precious metal IRAs to direct purchases of precious metal coins and bars.
Goldco has been around for more than a decade and has been recommended by celebrities like actor Chuck Norris and even former presidential candidate Ron Paul.
They have an A+ BBB Rating, AAA Rating from Business Consumers Alliance and 4.8 to 5 stars on Trustpilot, Trustlink, Google Reviews and Consumer Affairs.
You’ll even receive up to $10,000 in free silver on qualified purchases.
Maybe gold is right for you; maybe it isn’t. But if you’ve ever wondered, why not take a quick look? Click here right now and get your free information kit.
3. Protect your home from costly repairs
Home repairs aren’t cheap. Whether it’s a leaky roof or a broken appliance, your home can quickly become a nightmare and cost you hundreds or even thousands of dollars to fix.
But you don’t have to worry. Luckily, with a company called America’s First Choice Home Club, you can safeguard yourself against giant repair bills. From home appliances to electrical, plumbing to heating and cooling systems, it can all be protected.
Plus, their in-house service team is available 24/7 to help and ensure a hassle-free repair process if anything goes wrong. You can even choose your own technician, or they can send you one from their nationwide network if you don’t have someone in mind.
All over America, homeowners are choosing AFC Home Club for the savings, service and peace of mind that it delivers.
Stop worrying about household breakdowns, and get a free quote in 30 seconds.
4. Don’t waste thousands on car breakdowns
As a nation, we’re hanging on to our cars a lot longer: The average U.S. vehicle is now 12.1 years old. Trouble is, most of the big-ticket auto repairs happen long after the warranty has expired.
Driving your car until the wheels fall off means no car payment, and more money to invest. Paying out thousands in car repairs every year means less money to invest. Fortunately, you can get great coverage for repairs with Endurance.
Endurance sells vehicle service contracts, which are similar to auto warranties. They’ll cover your ride up until it’s 20 years old. Think of it as up to eight more years without a car payment, which is pretty great given that the average new car loan is about $700 a month.
You can choose from among three different plans. All of them include 24/7 roadside assistance, a rental car allowance, and a free year’s worth of the Elite Benefits program (which features key fob replacement, a collision discount, complete tire coverage and a $1,000 payment if your vehicle is declared a total loss.
Endurance has more than 350,000 ASE-certified repair facilities on speed-dial. Repairs are paid for up front, which means the only thing you need to cover is the deductible.
Protect yourself from costly auto repairs. Get your fast, free quote today.
5. Protect your family and your future
Here’s hoping your retirement years are active, healthy and vibrant and that you’re able to function as you always do, right up until the time you shuffle off this mortal coil.
The reality? According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 7 in 10 people who turn 65 today will probably need some kind of long-term care.
Some people think you can’t get affordable long-term care insurance after age 30. But GoldenCare has clients who are much older than that. (Unless they live in Alaska, Florida, Hawaii or Washington, the four states where GoldenCare doesn’t operate.)
Here’s another misconception: that Medicare will take care of all your health needs. For example, it doesn’t cover “custodial” care — say, when you’re released from a hospital into a recovery center or nursing home until you can live safely on your own. You’d be on the hook for that bill yourself. (Hint: It won’t be cheap.)
It’s impossible to say whether your current health will stay good. That’s why investigating long-term care insurance is so important: It protects you and your family. Get a free quote today.
6. Protect yourself from scammers
Every year, millions of people are ripped off by all sorts of scams. And the older we get, the bigger a target we become.
Protect yourself by following simple rules like not clicking links in emails from strangers and not answering calls or texts requesting personal information.
One of the easiest ways to stop identity theft is with a monitoring service like McAfee. It only takes a few minutes to enroll, and then they’ll constantly scan for threats to your identity. If they find something shady, they alert you by text, email, phone or mobile app.
McAfee is confident: Should you become a victim, you’ll get a free specialist who will help you fix it, and you’ll be reimbursed funds stolen due to identity theft up the limit of your plan.
The cost? As low as $7.50 monthly. That’s pretty cheap peace of mind.
Identity theft protection won’t stop every crook and every scam. But it’s a good place to start. McAfee Total Protection also includes their award-winning antivirus, as wells as a firewall, password manager and web protection.
Check it out today and see if it makes sense for you.
Bonus: Get paid to stay informed
More than a million Americans have reported saving an average of $991.20 each simply by reading the totally free Money Talks Newsletter.
Our newsletter gives you a daily dose of specific advice to help you make more, spend less and invest like a pro.
It takes less than 5 seconds to subscribe and, if you don’t like it, less than 5 seconds to unsubscribe. Sign up for our free newsletter right now and see what you’ve been missing.