DON'T BLINK: JUMP START YOUR FINANCIAL FUTURE NOW

One day you're graduating from school and out in the working world. The only thing in the future you’re thinking about are your weekend plans. Don't blink. The future will be here before you know it.

The next thing you know, you're married with a couple of kids, you have a mortgage and debt is slowly creeping into your perfect world. Your focus now is on school work, sports and raising your children. But don't blink.

They're running around trying to avoid the bathtub, breaking windows and fighting over chores. You stand still for a minute and take a cleansing breath. The next day they have graduated from college, are married and welcoming their new baby into the world. And yeah, you’re a grandparent. Stop blinking!

Before you realize your retirement is just around the corner, here are some tips to help you jump start your financial future:

• Plan for your future today. Pay yourself first. Set up a savings account and put as much money as you can in that account each payday. Keep it in the account or when it adds up invest it, purchase life insurance or supplement your retirement account.
• Plan for your retirement early. Start a retirement account as soon as you start working. Try to put the maximum amount you are allowed into that account every payday, every year. If your employer offers matching contributions, take advantage of them.
• Purchase a life insurance product for yourself and your spouse. Consider purchasing life insurance for each of your children as soon as you can. This will help secure your needs and their future if anything should happen.
• Start a college fund for your children as soon as they are born. Remember, one day you bring them home from the hospital and the next thing you know you are dropping them off at college. Use this calculator to see how the sooner you start saving, the better in order to take advantage of compounding interest.

Don’t put any of these things off. Life is so busy and time goes by so fast. A little planning now can help secure your future and the future of your family. You’ve worked hard and deserve it.