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Have you ever tried nailing jelly to a tree? It seems futile you can’t really tell if you’re making progress because the jelly is getting everywhere and turning things into a sticky situation. Retirement can feel equally as impossible as the conundrum above however if you take these 3 simple steps and you’ll come out a lot less sticky.

1. The First Jar, 401(K)

First, you’re going to need a couple of jars so that you can stay organized. The first of these jars is going to be your employee retirement plan, usually a 401(k). This is an easy jar to get started with cleaning up the mess. It comes built-in with an adjustable funnel and the jelly that goes into it can be set up to flow through automatically. The way it does this is it takes the jelly, or money from your payroll, and automatically deposits a set amount aside for you. This means that the jelly, or your savings, can go right into that jar without the risk of it getting messy.

2. The Second Jar, Personal Savings

Make sure your jars don’t overflow! You can’t fit all the jelly in one jar, you’ll need others to help you keep out of a sticky situation. We call this diversifying. Starting your own personal retirement account outside of work is a great way to keep building towards your goal!

3. Time for Ropes and a Nail, a Financial Planner

Time to tie the jars together around the tree and make sure they stay there with a well-placed nail. This comes in the form of financial planning and staying educated. Working with a financial professional is invaluable to make sure you are staying on track and using the right jars with the right amount of jelly in them. Without that last piece the financial advisor plays, or the nail to keep them in place you will have a harder time making sure the jars are still on the tree and you won’t be cleaning up jelly later.

Now the challenge of nailing jelly to a tree seems doable right? The same goes for retirement, the best time to start is now and it’s never too late to adopt these methods. Retirement isn’t just a dream but something you’ll be able to achieve. I’ve helped many clients set up their first jar so that they’re able to get started on these steps and moving in the right direction. If you’d like to find out more about getting that first jar, an employer 401(k) plan, set up for your business reach out to us at connectandsimplify.com.

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Also if you’re in need for the jelly to try and nail to a tree here’s my grandma Robin’s recipe:

• 5 cups of Strawberries
• 5 cups granulated sugar
• ¼ cup lemon juice
• Lemon Zest (to taste)
• 5 tablespoons of Pectin

Mash the strawberries up and add them to a pot. Remember this is jelly not jam so we want a smooth consistency.

Pour in the lemon juice then add the sugar, pectin, and lemon zest whisking them all until homogenous.

Bring the mixture to a boil and then let boil for about 1 minute whisking constantly.

Turn off the heat and while it cools skim off the foam that appears on top.

Once it’s cool enough and the foam is gone you’re ready to serve or jar it yourself! Enjoy!

 

With a background in personal finance, Neil is an expert on financial education and financial planning. This work led to his current role at The Benefit Companies where he assists businesses set up their 401(k) plans and educating employees on retirement plans. His current projects include new 401(k) implementations and creating this blog to educate our current and new clients’ employees.