Retirement may be a long, long way off for you or it might be just immanent. It doesn’t how near or far away it is, you have really got to begin investing for it right now. However, saving for retirement isn’t what it used to be with the increase in the cost of living and the unreliability of social security. Nowadays, you have to invest for your retirement future, as opposed to just saving for it!

Let us start by taking a look at the retirement plan, which is offered by the company you work for. Not so long ago, these plans were quite reliable. However, after the Enron upset and all the problems that followed, people aren’t as confident in their company retirement plans anymore. However, if you choose not to invest in your company’s retirement scheme, you do have other options.

Firstly, you may invest in bonds, certificates of deposit, money market accounts, mutual funds and stocks in alphabetical order. You do not need to tell anybody that the returns on these investments are to be used for retirement fund. Just let your money increase over a period of time, and when an investment reaches its maturity date or value, reinvest it and continue to let your money grow.

You can also open an Individual Retirement Account (IRA). IRAs are quite popular since the money is not subject to tax until you withdraw the funds. You may also be able to deduct your IRA payments from the taxes that you pay. An IRA can be started at almost any larger bank.

A ROTH IRA is a much newer type of retirement account. With a ROTH IRA, you pay taxes on the money that you are investing into your ROTH IRA account, but when you cash it in, no federal taxes are owed. Roth IRAs can also be opened at most of the larger financial institutions.

Another very popular kind of retirement account is the 401(k). 401(ks) are usually offered through employers, but you may be able to open a 401(k) on your own. You should talk to a financial planner or accountant to help you with this.

The Keogh plan is another kind of IRA which is more suitable for self employed people. Self-employed small business owners may also be interested in Simplified Employee Pension Plans (SEP). This is another type of Keogh plan that people typically find easier to administer than a regular Keogh plan.

Whichever retirement investment plan you choose, please make sure you do choose one! Again, do not depend on social security, company retirement plans, or even an inheritance that may or may not happen! Take care of your financial future by investing in one type of investment plan right now.

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Most people approach retirement with a gloomy face. They accept retirement as if it is giving into the hands of fate and the debilitation of the body. So, it is very important to help the retiree realize that retirement is something to be welcomed since it is an inevitable stage in life. But how can you achieve that? Its not so difficult: just poke fun at retirement. Retirement jokes, like the ones made in speeches are popular. However, speeches tend make people emotional to the point where everyone in the room is in a state of gloomy inevitability and sympathy. But one can raise the level of the atmosphere with retirement jokes (without insulting the retiree, of course).

Examples: In addition to speaking about the great moments the speaker has shared with the retiree, he/she can add something that will lighten up the mood. One could give a tombstone slab, which has the inscription For Future Use on it. If you’re a friend, you may also make a joke by calling the retiree granddad or grandfather whenever the retiree speaks to you, as in “OK, granddad”. This may also help lighten the mood. But dont go over the top, of course.

Another gag that might help is a wig in an unusual color like pink or purple. A follow up item to that joke might be that he may need a wig in the near future. If he refuses it, say: Okay, then wear a paper bag instead when you go bald. Always be prepared when a joke falls flat. So keep those backup jokes ready! Believe it or not, some agencies write and sell personalized retirement speeches with witty jokes built in after understanding the personality and interests of the retiree. These companies usually add jokes about the retirees profession. If one cannot find enough retirement jokes, a visit to a bookstore can help a great deal.

There are joke books that cover a wide range of topics, one of which is retirement. A little scan here and there will help inspire the reader if he/she isnt a natural comedian. These may also be good retirement gifts as well, helping the retiree have a good laugh on one of those boring Tuesday afternoons. There are also a lot of websites available on the net that provide a lot of jokes and free retirement e-books. The e-books that are available range from the 200 Best Things Said about Retirement to Retirement Wisdom You Wont Get from your Financial Advisor.

Conclusion: One has a lot of leeway when one tells jokes at a retirement party. If you know someone who is approaching retirement, you can first send an email or two which has retirement quotations like retirement is when everyday is Saturday and retirement: goodbye tension, hello pension!. It is a nice gesture and gives the sense that you know what the future retiree is going through.

Again, keep the retiree (future or not) at ease as much as you can. Make him/her contemplate retirement with a smile and not with a sigh as much as you can. And when the retirement party does come, adopt the same light-hearted approach, inserting jokes here and there and doing some gags like the ones said above. Not only will the retiree feel less wary about retirement, he/she will focus more on the people who made him happy on that bitter-sweet day, especially the person that gave him that strange pink wig.

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