​Although retirement might feel a long way off for some of us, it’s something you should begin investing in as quickly as possible. The earlier you start building your nest egg for retirement, the more cash you’ll have to tap into when you decide you want to stop working and enjoy your golden years. Of course, even if you do start saving early, there’s still a chance that countless factors in your life might leave you wanting to add a little more to your pension pot. If you’ve checked your retirement savings recently, and you’ve decided you’re not entirely happy with where you are, don’t worry. Here are some quick tips you can use to improve your chances of getting to where you need to be.

​Contributing to your retirement fund, emergency cash, or any form of savings can be difficult if you’re struggling to make ends meet. Re-working your budget and considering where you might be able to save back some extra money could be the best way to achieve your goals. Look at the current expenses you have to deal with each month? Is a significant portion of your budget going towards interest for some high-interest student loans? If so, you could potentially look into refinancing those loans with a lender online, and cut down on your monthly repayments. This frees up more money for your savings, without asking you to change too much about your lifestyle in the short-term.

It’s easy to forget about your pension and retirement savings when there are a million other things vying for your attention. Automating your savings means you’re less likely to use the money you would dedicate to retirement for something else, like fixing your car or replacing something in your home. You can also automate saving some extra cash for an emergency saving pot at the same time, so you always have some extra money when you need it. Think about how much you can reasonably afford to put aside each month, and put your savings on auto-pilot. Every so often, check your budget again and ask yourself whether you can afford to upgrade the amount you’re saving. This will help when you want to entertain yourself during retirement because you will have some easily accessible funds to do so as opposed to other savings options where there are terms and/or penalties for withdraws.

​Even if you already have a 401(k) with your employer, that doesn’t mean you have to limit all of your retirement savings to one basket. You can also establish an individual retirement account too. A traditional IRA could be ideal for you if you’re participating in a workplace retirement plan, and some contributions are even tax deductible. A Roth IRA is more likely to be the ideal choice for you if you meet with the phased-out modified income limits, based on your tax filing status. If you’re not sure what kind of IRA might be suitable for your needs, it’s worth talking to a financial advisor about your options. There are plenty of financial experts out there who are often willing to offer initial consultations for free, and they can often give you extra advice on how to save.