Are You Sabotaging Your Retirement?

Everyone dreams of living a comfortable retirement, but many people fail to realize that the financial decisions you make today will have a significant effect on your future. Here are several ways you could be sabotaging your retirement without even knowing it:

Not earning to your potential.The basics of retirement saving is simple – the more money you put in, the more you end up with. However, many people could be earning a lot more to put toward retirement if they avoided these mistakes:

• Failure to negotiate a higher salary. When you start a new job, don’t be afraid to negotiate a higher salary. While you might not get the exact amount you want, you run a better chance of bumping it up.
• Not asking for a pay raise. While you don’t want to constantly bother your boss for a raise, you can ask at times when it makes sense.
• Lack of a side income. Consider working a side job a few hours a week to help earn some extra money.

Paying interest to other people. The interest payments you make while in debt don’t do anything to help you. Pay your debt off as soon as possible so you can take what was once an interest payment and contribute it to your retirement savings instead.

Taking money out of your retirement account. This is one of the worst ways to sabotage your retirement. Taking money out of your account can result in taxes and penalties and keep you from enjoying a comfortable retirement.

Remember that the financial choices you make today can have a significant impact on your future. For more information on retirement planning, please visit Yahoo! Finance.