为退休和大学储蓄 同时成本

你想在退休的时候舒适地退休. 你也想帮助你的孩子上大学. 那么如何兼顾两者呢? The truth is, 为退休储蓄 and your 孩子的教育 同时也可能是一个挑战. But take heart — you may be able to reach both goals if you make some smart choices now.

Know your 退休需求第一

第一步是确定你的退休需求. Answering the following questions can help you get started:

你要多少年才能退休?

你希望退休后过什么样的生活? For example, 你想广泛旅行吗, or will you be happy to stay in one place and live more simply?

Do you or your spouse expect to work part-time in retirement?

How much do you expect to receive in Social Security benefits? (One way to get an estimate of your future Social Security benefits is to use the benefit calculators available on the Social Security Administration’s website, ssa.gov. You can also sign up for a Social Security account so that you can view your online Social Security Statement. Your statement contains a detailed record of your earnings, 以及对退休的估计, survivor’s, 残疾津贴).

Does your company offer an employer-sponsored retirement plan or a pension plan? 你参加吗?? 如果有，你的余额是多少? Can you estimate what your balance will be when you retire?

然后看看 college needs

在你考虑了你的退休需求之后, ask the following questions about your child's college education. Many on-line calculators are also available to help you predict your retirement income needs and your child's college funding needs.

你的孩子多久才能上大学?

你要为不止一个孩子存钱吗?

你的孩子有什么特殊的学业吗, athletic, 或者是能获得奖学金的艺术技能?

你希望你的孩子有资格获得经济援助吗?

你的孩子上的是公立大学还是私立大学? 预期成本是多少?

想想你能负担得起什么 每个月存起来

在你知道自己的财务需求之后, the next step is to determine what you can afford to 每个月存起来. 要做到这一点，你需要准备一个详细的家庭 budget 它列出了你所有的收入和支出. Keep in mind, though, that the amount you can afford may change from time to time as your circumstances change. Once you've come up with a dollar amount, you'll need to decide how to divvy up your funds.

退休需要 priority

虽然大学当然是一个重要的目标, you should probably focus on your retirement if you have limited funds. With generous corporate pensions mostly a thing of the past, 退休的负担主要落在你身上. But if you wait until your child is in college to start saving, you’ll miss out on years of potential tax-deferred growth and compounding of your money. Remember, your child can always attend college by taking out loans (or maybe even with scholarships), 但根本没有退休贷款这回事!

If possible, save for your retirement and your child's college 同时

Ideally, you'll want to try to pursue both goals 同时. The more money you can squirrel away for college bills now, the less money you or your child will need to borrow later. Even if you can allocate only a small amount to your child’s college fund, 比如一个月50或100美元, you might be surprised at how much you can accumulate over many years. For example, 如果你每个月存100美元，每年赚8%, you’d have $18,10年后在孩子的大学基金里存415美元. (This example is for illustrative purposes only and does not represent a specific investment. Investment returns will fluctuate and cannot be guaranteed.)

If you're unsure about how to allocate your funds between retirement and college, 专业的理财规划师或许能帮上忙. This person can also help you select appropriate investments for each goal. Remember, just because you're pursuing both goals 同时 doesn't necessarily mean that the same investments will be suitable. 独立对待每个目标可能是合适的.

Help! 我不能同时满足两个目标

If the numbers say that you can't afford to educate your child or retire with the lifestyle you expected, 你可能要做出一些牺牲. 以下是一些建议:

现在就增加你的收入

You might consider increasing your hours at your current job, 找一份薪水更高的工作, 做第二份工作, or having a previously stay-at-home spouse return to the workforce.

期望你的孩子为大学贡献更多的钱

尽管你尽了最大的努力, your child may need to take out student loans or work part-time to earn money for college.

推迟退休

工作时间越长, the more money you’ll earn and the later you'll need to dip into your retirement savings.

把你的孩子送到便宜一点的学校

You may have dreamed you child would follow in your footsteps and attend your alma mater, 或者他们会去常春藤盟校. However, unless your child is awarded a scholarship, you may need to lower your expectations. Don't feel guilty – a lesser-known college or a state university can provide your child with a similar quality education at a far lower cost.

想想其他创造性的方法来降低教育成本

Your child could attend a local college and live at home to save on room and board, enroll in an accelerated program to graduate in three years instead of four, take advantage of a cooperative education where paid internships alternate with course work, or defer college for a year or two and work to earn money for college.

降低你现在或退休后的生活水平

You might be able to adjust your spending habits now in order to have money later. 或者，你可以考虑在退休后削减开支.

更积极地投资

如果你离退休或上大学还有好几年, you might be able to earn more money by investing more aggressively (but remember that aggressive investments mean a greater risk of loss). 请注意，没有任何投资策略可以保证成功.

退休期间兼职工作

Working part-time during retirement is becoming a more popular option for many people, 无论是为了维持某种生活方式, 与当地社区保持联系, 从工作中找到满足感, 获得保险福利, 或者帮助支持孩子的教育. 一些退休人员选择在同一行业找工作, while others choose it as an opportunity to do something else, perhaps indulge a professional interest they couldn’t explore earlier in life.