Atlantic Blog

Some predict that by the year 2033, Social Security's reserve trust funds could be exhausted. Though people disagree about when the money will run dry, and how to avoid it, it could happen in your lifetime. You can prepare for it, starting now.

April is Credit Union Youth Month.  It is a good time to remember that, while saving can be more difficult when you are young, saving is very important.

IRAs (individual retirement accounts) offer young workers the opportunity to potentially receive higher benefits than the current system can afford to pay. They also offer an opportunity to build a nest egg for retirement that the government can't take away.

Invest regularly and you'll be surprised at how the money grows due to compound interest. Consider contributing a portion of your paycheck in one kind of IRA called a Roth IRA.

For example, if you invest $25 a week in a Roth IRA until you retire (let's say in 50 years) and the money grows at 5%, when you retire you'll have $290,644 in tax-free money. If it grows at 8%, you'll have $869,583. You only contributed $65,000 to the total—the rest is due to compound interest. Now, no one is offering rates like that today, but who knows what the future will hold.  The point is to start saving when you are young.  Get in the habit of saving every week. The earlier you start, the bigger the benefit when you retire.

For the very young, Atlantic Federal Credit Union offers a youth savings account that lets children 12 and under learn money management through real-life experience. Free online banking and e-Statements make it easy to track their progress. Invest in your child’s future today — $5 is all it takes.

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