The word “retirement” on its own can be scary to think about. Luckily there is something that could help establish a way to start saving and be ready for retirement — entrepreneur Kevin O’Leary’s “90-Day Number.”
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GOBankingRates breaks down what his method is and how it can boost your retirement saving strategy.
Relying on Social Security alone is not a stable retirement plan. However, options like 401(k) plans and IRAs can help.
O’Leary explained that 401(k) plans are automatically withdrawn through an individual’s paycheck but IRA’s require the individual to directly open an account and contribute funds or set up auto contributions.
He called attention to the fact that many people spend more money than their paycheck allows and find it tough to put any extra money towards their 401(k) plans. To be able to increase retirement savings, O’Leary advises that individuals use a strategy called the 90-Day Number.
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O’Leary believes one of the smartest ways to understand where an individual stands financially starts with a simple 90-Day Number.
According to The Street, he recommends breaking money management down to one number based on total earnings over a three-month window, which he refers to as the 90-Day Number.
This short-term approach can help lead to better budgeting decisions and long-lasting financial results.
Finding a person’s 90-Day Number helps them know how much money they have available to put toward their 401(k) plan or IRA. This is achieved by looking at all sources of income and then listing all expenses separately including debt payments, car loans, rent and bills.
The main idea is to subtract the total expenses from the total income over three months, and if the answer is a positive number, then the person can consider contributing extra money towards their 401(k) plan or IRA.
If the answer is a negative number, then re-evaluation is needed to see how much spending goes beyond the amount of earnings and being sure to set up a plan for a budget to get finances back on track. Once that is accomplished, try again to find a suitable amount to contribute to retirement accounts.
Using O’Leary’s 90-Day Number can help an individual know how much money they have available to put towards saving more for retirement, but here are a few more things to consider.
