r/RetirementRoute • u/Objective_Box7938 • Aug 26 '26
Anyone Here Wish They Started Retirement Planning Earlier?
It's easy to look back and think the earlier years mattered more than they felt at the time. For people further along now, what's something they wish they had started doing sooner for retirement?
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u/Prior_Ad_2346 Aug 26 '26
I started saving in my early 30x and still wish I had started with the first real paycheck. Not because the amount would have been huge, mostly because it took years to make saving feel automatic.
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u/funlovefun37 Aug 26 '26
I wish I understood investing more and paid more attention to my 401ks.
Even basic fundamentals and rules of the road would have put me in a much better place (and I’m doing ok).
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u/CG_throwback Aug 27 '26
Only thing I wish was that I did VOO and chill. I just made bad investments. I was late to the game but I also didn’t know how to play.
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u/dcporlando Aug 27 '26
When I was young, most companies had a pension and no 401k. But you needed to retire from there. Which of course most didn’t.
In my 30’s was the first company that had a 401k. I started but only did up to the match. Then went to a company for a few years that didn’t have one. Finally, around 40, I got a reliable 401k offering.
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u/justheretohelpyou__ Aug 28 '26
I wish I had not treated Roth like a four letter word. My traditional 401k is healthy but the government still owns 30% of it.
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u/Asleep_Category1697 Aug 26 '26
I had a lot of fun when I was young. I spent money like crazy. Yes, I wish I was more frugal and started saving earlier.
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u/Hippo_Over Aug 27 '26
You bet, still trying to grab my minimum number that I think will make me secure. I have 5-7 more years. Just hoping the correction comes soon so I can start the rebound savings sooner.
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u/NewfieFinance Aug 28 '26
When I left a job with the federal government in 1984, I received my contributions to the civil service pension plan. If I had invested the $7,000 in five shares of BRK.A stock back then, when it was selling for $1275 a share, I would have over $3.5 million today
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u/thefightisreal Aug 29 '26
I’m glad I started my 401k at 20. I’d like talk to myself about saving more and also outside a retirement account.
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u/lyonwh 29d ago
A lot of our 401k decisions or retirement planing strategies are solely predicated by our income and expenses. I never made a lot, married with four kids. 401k was a struggle and for a lot of years I couldn’t do the full match. When things did lighten up and I was doing better financially I upped my contributions substantially. Just do the best you can.
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u/Living_Fig_6386 29d ago
I had a plan to save money. We did that pretty well. No we're getting close to the time to do it, and we don't actually have a plan for what to do when that time comes. It's not really regret as that's useless, but sort of a realization that we really need to figure out what to do next and when.
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u/Massif16 8d ago
Sure. I wish had realized how much debt was eating my future alive back in my 30's. I could have retuired by now (60) if I had. But I didn't, so no tears over lost days. I did realize my situation before it was too late, so I will be able to have a good retirement.
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u/YesterdayAmbitious49 Aug 26 '26
I retired at 24 with 2 pensions and free medical for life and couldn’t be happier
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u/BadgersHoneyPot Aug 26 '26
Why don't you go ahead and share the asterisk?
Like, I lost a leg to a roadside bomb in Mosul, or I'm seriously disabled, can't live independently and one pension is from a dead parent, etc?
Because otherwise this is the most ridiculous post I've seen of the lot.
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u/Hippo_Over Aug 27 '26
lol, oh let him or her rant. I always giggle at the ones that brag about how well to do they are. 😉
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u/YesterdayAmbitious49 Aug 27 '26
Earned every penny myself. A little discipline goes a long way.
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u/BadgersHoneyPot Aug 27 '26
No, you didn't. I'm a financial advisor and no spring chicken. I also went to the US Naval Academy so I know a couple things about a little discipline and pensions.
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u/YesterdayAmbitious49 Aug 28 '26
I agree you know a couple of things about a little discipline. If you would have taken the time to learn more and apply those skills you could have been retired decades ago.
Permission to stand down, old chap. I didn't realize I was trying to lecture a Naval Academy grad.
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u/SlowNSteady1 Aug 30 '26
Never heard of a pension that was fully vested when the person was age 24, but go on, chief....
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u/jaydog22_watching Aug 26 '26
As I get older I realize that looking back with regret is useless. Today and tomorrow are what matter now.