One of the best investments you can make is to contribute to an employer-sponsored retirement account where your employer matches your contributions dollar for dollar.
For example, let's say you make $100,000 a year and your employer matches your contributions up to 6% of your salary. If you contribute 6%, your employer will match that with another 6%, for a total of 12% of your salary going into your retirement account.
That's a guaranteed 100% return on your investment!
I encourage everyone to teach their kids to do this from day one. If they start saving for retirement from their very first paycheck and continue to do so, they'll never miss the money and their 60 year old selves will be very grateful they did.
There aren't many guarantees in investing, but this is one of them. As long as you stay with your employer long enough to fully vest their match, you're guaranteed to get a 100% return on your investment.
One of my friends told me about a strategy he has been using with his teens that I absolutely love. He calls it the “Dad match”. Whatever the kid saves for college through their own work, he will match up to a certain amount. This is a great way to teach your kids about the power of a 100% match.
If you're not already contributing enough to get the full employer match in your retirement account, I urge you to start today. It's one of the best investments you can make for your future.
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