Saving for retirement

Why should I save?

When it comes to money management and personal security, perhaps there’s nothing more important than saving. A great reason to save is to make sure you have more choices in the future – not just for your retirement but for all your goals.

Depending on your life stage, you may be saving to purchase a home, start a family or pay for your child’s education. The ideal savings plan should allow you to save for your short- and long-term goals – especially retirement.

Vanguard My Financial Wellness Hub

Take control of your finances. Whether you're tackling debt, building your emergency fund, or planning your retirement, you can use the My Financial Wellness Hub to help. This personalized Vanguard tool will ask you to fill out a quick assessment to identify your priorities. Then you can explore:

Customized insights with bite-size education to help you take small steps toward financial wellness and retirement readiness.
Personalized action plans to help you stick to task and connect with any potential vendor solutions offered by your retirement plan.
A convenient view of multiple account balances in one central location, including Vanguard employer plans, outside assets, or any additional sponsor benefits such as Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) or nonqualified plans.

Whether you’re tackling debt, building your emergency fund, or planning your retirement, the My Financial Wellness Hub has answers.

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*Go to vanguard.com/retirementplans. After logging into your account, select My financial wellness in the navigation bar to get started.

Vanguard’s My Financial Wellness Hub is a financial education platform that is not affiliated with FedEx and is not an employee benefit plan offering sponsored by FedEx. FedEx is not responsible for any content found on My Financial Wellness Hub or any action taken in connection with the content.

How can I make the most of my retirement benefits?

Explore strategies to maximize your 401(k) or Retirement Savings Plan (RSP) contributions, any eligible pension benefits, and Social Security benefits. You can also learn more about how to effectively manage your FedEx retirement benefits.

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Your personal savings

To supplement your 401(k) plan, pension plan and Social Security benefits, you might consider adding to your total retirement package with personal savings. These options might include:

Individual retirement accounts (IRAs)
Money market accounts or certificates of deposit (CDs)
Spousal benefits (if you are married)

How much should I save?

When it comes to retiring and other important milestones, like getting married or starting a family, perhaps nothing is more important than being financially prepared. You should start saving early – and continue saving – so you are ready to take on life events without tapping into your long-term savings.

In other words, early on, try to develop a strategy for juggling multiple financial goals and separate your savings accordingly. Consider consulting a financial expert who can guide you in your decision-making. Vanguard has a wealth of resources.

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Retirement experts suggest saving
12-15%

annually for retirement.

Retirement Income Calculator

Determine the retirement income more appropriate for you personally.*

*Go to vanguard.com/retirementplans and navigate to the "Plan my retirement" menu to access the Retirement Income Calculator.

Meet your financial goals

Planning for your retirement should be a lifelong financial goal, but what about other long-term savings goals along the way? We have some tips to help you navigate important milestones in your financial journey.

Paying for college

College is expensive. So, the sooner you begin saving for your child’s education, the better. The Your path to paying for college infographic can help you navigate the steps you should take throughout your child’s life to save for college.

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College and retirement: Can you save for both goals?

Once you retire, you may receive Social Security benefits. You might even be entitled to pension benefits from a past or current employer. However, these sources alone might not provide enough income for a comfortable lifestyle throughout retirement.

Consistently contributing as much as possible in an employer's retirement savings plan [401(k)] or to an individual retirement account (IRA) can potentially help you achieve the savings you'll need for retirement.

Your child can borrow for college, but retirement funding falls solely on your shoulders.
Assets in IRAs, 401(k)s, and similar plans generally won’t be included when colleges calculate your expected family contribution to education costs.
If you’re short on cash for college, you can withdraw money from your IRA, penalty-free, to pay qualified education expenses.
You can also use Section 529 plans for college savings. They offer tax advantages and are treated as parental assets for financial aid calculations.

With a little planning, you’ll increase the likelihood that you can save for all your goals.

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