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Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Simple steps to reach $1 million

Let's face it; we all don't make millions of dollars a year, and the odds are that most of us won't receive a large windfall inheritance either. However, that doesn't mean that we can't build sizeable wealth - it'll just take some time. If you're young, time is on your side and retiring a millionaire is achievable. Read on for some tips on how to increase your savings and work toward this goal.

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How To Make Your First $1 Million

Stop Senseless Spending
Unfortunately, people have a habit of spending their hard-earned cash on goods and services that they don't need. Even relatively small expenses, such as indulging in a gourmet coffee from a premium coffee shop every morning, can really add up - and decrease the amount of money you can save. Larger expenses on luxury items also prevent many people from putting money into savings each month. (For related reading, see Squeeze A Greenback Out Of Your Latte .)

That said, it's important to realize that it's usually not just one item or one habit that must be cut out in order

to accumulate sizable wealth (although it may be). Usually, in order to become wealthy one must adopt a disciplined lifestyle and budget. This means that people who are looking to build their nest eggs  need to make sacrifices somewhere - this may mean eating out less frequently, using public transportation to get to work and/or cutting back on extra, unnecessary expenses. (To learn more, read The Disposable Society: An Expensive Place To Live .)

This doesn't mean that you shouldn't go out and have fun, but you should try to do things in moderation - and set a budget if you hope to save money .  Fortunately, particularly if you start saving young, saving up a sizeable nest egg only requires a few minor (and relatively painless) adjustments to your spending habits. (For more insight, read Under 30 And Financially Secure In 10 Steps.)

Fund Retirement Plans ASAP
When individuals earn money, their first responsibility is to pay current expenses such as the rent or mortgage expenses, food and other necessities. Once these expenses have been covered, the next step should be to fund a retirement plan  or some other tax-advantaged vehicle.

Unfortunately, retirement planning is an afterthought for many young people. Here's why it shouldn't be: funding a 401(k) and/or a IRA   early on in life means you can contribute less money overall and actually end up with significantly more in the end than someone who put in much more money but started later. (To see how this works, check out Why is retirement easier to afford if you start early? ) How much difference will funding a vehicle such as a Roth IRA early on in life make?

If you're 23 years old and deposit $3,000 per year (that's only $250 each month!) in a Roth IRA earning and 8% average annual return, you will have saved $985,749 by the time you are 65 years old due to the power of compounding. If you make a few extra contributions, it's clear that a $1 million goal is well within reach. Also keep in mind that this is mostly interest - your $3,000 contributions only add up to $126,000.

Now, suppose that you wait an additional 10 years to start contributing. You have a better job and you know

 you've lost some time, so you contribute $5,000 per year. You get the same 8% return and you aim to retire at 65. When you reach age 65, you will have saved $724,753. That's still a sizeable fund, but you had to contribute $160,000 just to get there - and it's no where near the $985,749 you could've had for paying much less.

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Improve Tax Awareness
Sometimes, individuals think that doing their own taxes will save them money. In some cases, they might be right. However, in other cases it may actually end up costing them money because they fail to take advantage of the many  deductions  available to them.

Try to become more educated as far as what types of items are deductible. You should also understand when it makes sense to move away from the standard deduction and start itemizing your return. (To learn everything you need to know about filing your tax return, check out our Income Tax Guide.) However, if you're not willing or able to become very well educated filing your own income tax, it may actually pay to hire some help, particularly if you are self employed, own a business or have other circumstances that complicate your tax return. (For more on this, see Crunch Numbers To Find The Ideal Accountant.)

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How To Make Your First $1 Million

Retire A Millionaire In 10 Steps       

6 Millionaire Traits That You Can Adopt



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From the Community…

Comments 1-4 of 4
  • Ecash's Avatar
    Posted by Ecash Sat Oct 31, 2009 12:42am PDT

    Yes,that is a good idea but you can also make moey with online methods that could earn you a nice amount. Check these out...

    http://ecash10.com

    http://1778.powerbarclub.com

    Report Abuse
  • Indra G's Avatar
    Posted by Indra G Sun Nov 1, 2009 6:05am PST

    Always check http://www.payless4sure.com. It will help you save some fortune from your software spending. *Your company can benefit too and may prevent the next lay-off*

    Report Abuse
  • Phil C's Avatar
    Posted by Phil C Sun Nov 1, 2009 3:23pm PST

    Stupid. You have no chance unless you're a crook.

    Report Abuse
  • Darryl's Avatar
    Posted by Darryl Mon Nov 2, 2009 11:30am PST

    8% earnings rate on investment?? Hmmm. Please show me hoe to get this without a Madoff.

    Report Abuse
Comments 1-4 of 4

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