Planning Briefs

According to a recent article in The Washington Post, 71% of Americans aren't saving enough for retirement. If you're in this predicament, what can you do to close the gap? Here are six practical suggestions.

1. Bolster your 401(k). Much as it may pain you, try to allocate more of your paycheck to your 401(k) account or similar retirement plan. In addition, to supplement an employer-based plan, you might contribute to an IRA. The tax law allows generous contribution limits. Contributions grow and compound tax-deferred until you're ready to make withdrawals.

2. Invest wisely. If you can, investing additional money outside your retirement accounts can be very helpful. For taxable accounts, you may want to emphasize assets that don't produce a lot of taxable income in the form of mutual fund distributions, stock dividends, and bond interest. Although the fundamental principles of asset allocation and diversification aren't foolproof—there are no guarantees against loss of principal, especially in a declining market—they have performed well historically.