Target dated retirement funds are known as Retirefunds and should be part of your financial future.

If you were to ask a qualified investment adviser what is the best time to begin investing for your retirement, S/he would tell you it was 40 years ago. They would also suggest that, the second best time to begin is today!  Everyone who has ever been involved with the subject of saving for retirement knows how true this statement is. The longer your horizon is to the big day, and the earlier you start saving and investing, the more you will have in retirement.

Retirefunds or target dated retirement funds, set up with your retirement date in mind. If that date is 30 years out, then you are ahead of 98% of your peers in planning for the future.  If that date is only 10 years out, then you are in the middle of the pack so to speak, of your peers in planning for the big day. In other words, most people only think about their retirement and it's financial consequences as it gets closer.  Obviously, the sooner you take the plunge and begin your investment plan, the better off you will be in your golden years. If you are one of the Millennial generation (currently between the age of 18 and 34) you should be talking to a qualified investment adviser right now about "your" plan to retire in good financial health.

I have a nephew who just turned 20 and he recently approached me with some questions about how he should start an investment plan.  We talked briefly about registered retirement savings plans and tax free savings accounts but my main advice to him is to seek out a good financial planner and to make a Retirefund or target dated retirement fund, one of his main options. I wish I had been as in tune with finances at his age as he seems to be. While many of his peers are still looking for jobs, going to college or university etc, he already has some significant savings and is looking for solid advice in planning for a rainy day.

 Facts: 25 years of research shows that, "Individuals don't spend time doing any planning or thinking about retirement until it happens," (Salisbury)  In fact, most people spend much more time planning a vacation than planning for retirement.

I happen to be from the generation that was blessed with a pension plan I had paid into for 36 years,  It makes me more free to play with a portion of my portfolio.  If you are not part of a long term pension plan (and even if you are) you should not "play" with your retirement money.

Since this article is a "heads up" so to speak for the 18-34 yr old crowd, I will not get into boring details of individual funds or companies.  I will leave that to your qualified investment adviser.

Here are some resources to help you investigate Retirefunds, as you begin your journey to financial independence in retirement.

Familiarize yourself with the various funds then sit down with a qualified financial planner to discuss your Retirefund options.  Don't play the market. Leave that to the experts.

1. Target - Date Fund Definition | Investopedia

2. SEC.gov | Target Date Retirement Funds - U.S...

3. T. Rowe Price Target Date Funds - T. Rowe Price

4. Target date fund - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

5. Pick the Best Target- Date Fund for You- Kiplinger

6. American Funds 2020 Target Date Retirement Fund® (RECTX...

7. Fidelity Freedom Funds - Target Date Mutual Funds

    And if you are Canadian:

   1. Pick the Best Target- Date Fund for You- Kiplinger

   2. Vanguard Target Retirement Funds | Vanguard

   3. The future of target- date funds | Benefits Canada

      www.benefitscanada.com/...future-of-target-date-funds-58814

   4. Retirement- date funds: Smart no-brainer or investor...

      www.theglobeandmail.com  › …  › Adviser’s View

   5. Fidelity Freedom Funds - Target Date Mutual Funds

       

       

Target date retirement funds or retirefunds are growing in popularity

Target dated Retirement funds are known as Retirefunds. They are often set up to target a specific date which is usually the retirement date of the individual investor in question.

Examples of such funds can be found at BMO, Scotiabank, Manulife, T. Rowe Price, Pimco, American Funds, and many other banks and financial institutions too numerous to mention here.  These funds are the "cruise control" of mutual funds. As the investor gets closer to retirement, the fund's asset allocation becomes more conservative and focuses on fixed income. The changing asset allocation is called the glide path.

 "In the U.S., target-date funds hit the public consciousness after the Pension Protection Act of 2006. The legislation allowed 401(k) plan sponsors to make life cycle funds the default investments for participants who didn't choose their own funds. The logic was that since investors were now in charge of their own retirement funds, sitting in cash wasn't going to get them there".(See Nasdaq)

In Canada, target dated funds began gaining more interest around the same time. These funds have some very positive aspects which are desired by many investors.  Many individuals are so busy with their own careers, family and lives that they truly want their retirement funds on cruise control. Although I often point out you are the best keeper of your retirement plan and your money, many people either do not, or cannot look after their own plans.

There are however some drawbacks to these plans you should be aware of. The Canadian investment review has an excellent article on this very subject entitled: The trouble with retirement dated funds.

Retirefunds may not be for everyone but there is a growing investor base that wants to keep their investments on cruise control.  If you are interested in this form of retirement financing, you should contact a qualified financial adviser.

Ed