Question of the Day: What percent of Americans are contributing to a retirement plan (e.g., 401(k)) offered by their employer?
Answer: 49%
Questions:
- What do you think prevents workers from contributing to a retirement plan?
- Retirement seems a long way off. Why do you think it is important to start investing when you are young?
- What advice would you give someone in order to convince them to sign up for a retirement account?
- If you were told that your company would match the amount you put into a retirement account, would that convince you to participate?
Behind the numbers (from Forbes):
“I think the 51% of the Americans that are not saving may be, for the most part, the individuals that don’t necessarily have the discretionary funds to direct into their 401(k), and thus are challenged to do so,” says Michael H. Smith, a financial planner in Riverside, IL.
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Satisfy your students' curiosity about 401(k)s with this teacher favorite: NGPF Case Study: Compound My Interest in 401(k)s
About the Authors
Tim Ranzetta
Tim's saving habits started at seven when a neighbor with a broken hip gave him a dog walking job. Her recovery, which took almost a year, resulted in Tim getting to know the bank tellers quite well (and accumulating a savings account balance of over $300!). His recent entrepreneurial adventures have included driving a shredding truck, analyzing executive compensation packages for Fortune 500 companies and helping families make better college financing decisions. After volunteering in 2010 to create and teach a personal finance program at Eastside College Prep in East Palo Alto, Tim saw firsthand the impact of an engaging and activity-based curriculum, which inspired him to start a new non-profit, Next Gen Personal Finance.
Danielle Bautista
Danielle is a native of Southern California and a recent graduate from the University of Maine, where she braved the frigid winters—a feat in and of itself—and earned her Bachelor's degree in International Affairs. She has a passion for working with non-profit organizations and serving populations in underprivileged communities. When Danielle isn't writing NGPF blog posts, spearheading various outreach projects, or managing contests and flash surveys, you can find her doing some sort of outdoor activity, learning a new hobby, or cracking what she thinks are witty puns!
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