Opinion: U.S. retirement savings options are a disaster

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We can all agree that building our retirement savings is an important goal. Statistics make it clear that we are living longer and when we combine that with the fact that we want to retire sooner leaves a decades-long gap that few people are prepared to deal with.  While Social Security was once the intended funding source for people’s retirement, today you might just be able to count on that to pay your monthly rent or mortgage.  With a well-thought-out plan and a bit of planning and years of savings, you may be able to afford to retire at some point. Americans have done a poor job at saving for retirement, but it isn’t completely their fault. The options available for saving have become extremely confusing over time. Americans are offered either corporate or individual retirement savings options, each with their own set of rules, regulations, and contribution limits. With more and more Americans choosing to manage their own investments, selecting the best retirement account(s) is a daunting task. It is time to simplify the retirement account landscape. 

Not only can it be very confusing to chart a course and pick a plan, but with so many different retirement plan options available, savers need to focus on which plans they qualify for, which they’ll get the most benefits from, and how taxes affect each type of plan and payout once they are ready to make withdrawals in the future.  Do you know the contribution amount you are limited to in your account? If you said $6,000, $7,000, $19,500, $26,000, $58,000 – you are right and you are wrong – it all depends on the type of account you are contributing to.