Why young people should start saving early for retirement

The biggest lie many 20-something-year-olds keep telling themselves is “it’s too early to save for retirement”. However, the earlier you start the more money you will have when you eventually decide to stop working. Do you want to enjoy the same level of comfort that you were used to, if not better when you eventually stop working?
Here’s why you need to save now for retirement:

1. Compound Interest Is Your Friend
Tiny contributions made at an early age will over the years multiply because of “The power of compound interest”. Therefore, the sooner you start saving and investing, the earlier you take advantage of compound interest; making it easier to achieve that financial goal.
For example with our Jubilee Insurance Personal Pension plan, if you are 20 years old and contribute Sh 2,000 for 20 years, you will have Sh 1, 261,973 by the time you are 40 years old. If you decide to contribute the same amount but for 30 years, you will have Sh 3, 087,072 by the time you retire at the age of 50.

2. You will pay less tax
The Government, which most of us feel takes too much from us, actually gives tax breaks to all who contribute to retirement schemes. You can get as high as Sh.20, 000 as a relief before your salary is assessed for tax! For example, an individual earning Sh 50, 000 and making a monthly contribution of Sh.5000 will be taxed on Sh 45,000.

3. You get “free” money from your employer
Many employers contribute to their employees’ retirement accounts. When you choose not to contribute towards your retirement, you are quite literally saying “NO!” to money that the employer is freely giving to you.

4. You have a wider choice of investment options!
A longer time to invest means that you can take greater risks with the investment instruments that you select. This is because you have more time to bounce back for greater gains in case things head south.
Those who start late usually have little wiggle room and tend to stick with the generally safer and more restricted investment vehicles.

5. You can have guarantees on the returns on your savings
Many retirement plans give guarantees on minimum rates of return. So when it comes down to the money, you can never, on retirement, have a total fund that is less than your total contributions.

6. You are still the master of your budget
It is easier to quickly make retirement savings a permanent item on your budget without having to struggle with so many other expenses.
An early budget provision for retirement savings will quite literally get you off the “not enough, therefore, no savings” mindset.

7. You will be free to do as you please… for the rest of your life
Many of us aspire to spend the years after retirement traveling the world or living in that Villa. No one dreams of a “broke” future.
With an early saving and investment strategy, starting now, Your Dreams are valid!! You can start living it up and “retire” as early when you are ready. How’s that for a reason!

Jebet Cheruiyot is a Pension manager at Jubilee Insurance.

By Jubilee Insurance